Forces Out To Destroy Interactive Advertising

Under proposals, all 3rd party ads would be served only under opt-in pref

[KenB]

[mediapost.com...]

Under some proposals, all third-party ad serving would be served up only under explicit consumer opt-in preferences, while others would require all locally targeted online ads to have consumer consent. Rothenberg said the European Union wants to put tighter restrictions on interactive advertising by making all cookies in the EU opt-in by 2011.

This could effectively destroy advertising revenue for small independent publishers. AdSense and other targeted advertising has been the one thing that has made it possible for lots of small web publishers to make a living producing content for Internet users to read. Kill the advertising and you kill the great diversity of free content on the web.

Note to admins: I hope you'll forgive the link, but you guys linked to another article on this site, which is how I found this article.

[johnmoose]

And they will kill some of the economy as well..

[denisl]

I assume we would have to set up our sites so that visitors could not see our valuable content unless they agree to being shown adverts

[incrediBILL]

opt-in cookies? what the heck are they smoking?

that's already a browser option if you're truly paranoid.

[KenB]

opt-in cookies? what the heck are they smoking?

that's already a browser option if you're truly paranoid.

I totally agree, plus there are plenty of readily available, easy to use, ad-blocking add-ons out there.

Web publishers need to stand up to be heard on this one.

[HuskyPup]

what the heck are they smoking?

Beats me...does this mean all newspapers carrying adverts will have to be opt-in as well?

What about tv advertising, cinemas, billboards, trains, boats, planes...barmy, totally barmy!

Is this where we lock sites down and do not let anyone enter unless they agree to our T&Cs?

[jetteroheller]

opt-in cookies? what the heck are they smoking?

that's already a browser option if you're truly paranoid.

Look in the discussion forum of the German computer magazine Heise.
That's filled up with paranoids.

[mack]

When you first run a web browser it will allert you the first time it is presented with a cookie. Most browsers will then present you with options. The most common choice would be accept all cookies. Surely this is opt in.

Mack.

[Tashi]

This wouldn't be a very interesting evolution...

[surfer67]

So I guess then the next logical thing is settings on your tv set to block all advertising. What's the difference? There won't be a decent program on without support from advertising. What about billboards? I want a list of all streets that have them so that I can prepare a different route.

[kidder]

This article was some sort of humor right? I still think its ironic that they throw the book at email spammers but still allow offline to fill our letter boxes with truckloads of paper spam. I put a written spam filter on our mailbox and they still do it..

[jetteroheller]

EU countries are mad at emails advertising.

So it's forbidden to send emails to related companies.

My web site has many different themes, and for each of the themes, I receive emails from Chinese companies showing their products in this field.

But I never receive emails from German and Austrian companies.
It's strictly forbidden in Germany and Austria.

So there is the complete mad situation, that I am very well informed about all new products from China, but have absolut no idea what happens in Austria and Germany.

How good targeted email advertising to companies is, stated one of my customers about 2000, at this time they forbid it:

"Targeted business emails are great, they saved just right now my company 10.000,-EUR. We just wandte to develop a new product, but we received an email showing exactly the product, we wanted to develop. So we ordered that new product instead of investing much money into an own development"

[piatkow]

The actual proposal regarding cookies, while OTT, should actually benefit some sites as without tracking of user behaviour the ads should be consistent and content based.

As I also have affiliate links on my site, what concerns me more is loosing commission where the visitor doesn't make a purchase immediately but decides to return to the merchant site later.

[cgiscripts4u]

This proves that those in Brussels are total idiots, the power has gone to their heads. Heck we can't sell a banana it is too bent:)

I vote to disband the EU and revert to being individual countries with their own laws and governments.

[jetteroheller]

I vote to disband the EU and revert to being individual countries with their own laws and governments.

Normal, the exchange rate of the greek currency would have dropped the last 10 years by 50 to 75%.

But this bamboozlers have now the EUR.

[koan]

EU countries are mad at emails advertising.

Legitimate opt-in mailing lists or spam? If spam, it seems they got that part right.

[piatkow]

EU you have to opt in
USA you have to opt out

Give me Brussels over Washington any day.

[maximillianos]

I find it interesting that there is so much debate over internet advertising, yet TV stations have been doing both local and targeted advertising for years without any opt in or opt out options. I wish I could opt out of my TV commercials, but I can't...

Why is the internet different? Comcast knows where I live and I will occasionally see a local ad while I am watching a nationally broadcasted show.

If the debate is over leaving tracking cookies, well then I don't see how it would put an end to small time publishers. Adsense can still serve ads without tracking cookies.

[hasimsg]

BTW, how can I opt out from search engine ads?

[koan]

BTW, how can I opt out from search engine ads?

Don't visit search engines.

[mack]

I wish I could opt out of my TV commercials, but I can't...

At least the tv ads aren't planting bugs to monitor your viewing habbits :) (yet)

I do see your point, but this is more about cookies than the actual ads.

Mack.

[KenB]

The thing is, users can disable and/or clear out cookies via their browser's option panel very easily. We don't need some legislation complicating things.

[AndyA]

At least the tv ads aren't planting bugs to monitor your viewing habbits :) (yet)

I've often wondered what type of information the cable companies garner from digital boxes. They can turn channels on and off remotely, reset the box remotely, make adjustments remotely. Is it too much of a tin foil hat theory to think that they know which channels are tuned in at any given time? Which programs are being recorded?

I don't think so. In fact, I'd be surprised to learn that they cannot or do not do this with the technology available. Think how much that marketing data would be worth.

I've been told that this isn't the case, and the shows you watch aren't tracked in any way, but this seems like too good of an opportunity for them to pass up. Perhaps if individual locations aren't tracked, the information as a whole is bundled together to show how many boxes were tuned to channel whatever at a particular time.

Advertising pays the bills. If people want access to free web sites with free information, they must realize that it costs money to provide that to them. I can remember when many of the cable networks were ad free, and now most have advertising. People used to get cable to get away from ads, now you can't escape them.

Advertising pays the bills. If ads don't exist or can't serve their purpose, someone/something else will have to cover the cost.

[AndyA]

I should add that many shows now utilize product placement because so many people fast forward through the advertising. The products are placed directly into the show, whether it's just a bottle of dishwashing liquid sitting on the counter by the sink, or the car out front in the driveway.

Many sites already integrate advertising within the content, which is a similar practice.

People on the internet can control their cookies. They can choose to delete them whenever they want, they can clear their cache every time they shut their browser down, they can block certain cookies completely. People have more control over internet ads than they do other forms of ads.

[JS_Harris]

Rothenberg said the European Union wants to put tighter restrictions on interactive advertising by making all cookies in the EU opt-in by 2011.

I bet he can't get into his own darned email afterwards for lack of cookies, lol.

Seriously however, if he wants to make all sites require permission before serving a cookie then all sites are also free to say "accept this darned cookie or scram - courtesy of Rothenberg".

[tntpower]

Though affiliate is my major part-time income, I strongly suppose this proposal.

[onepointone]

If this were to happen, publishers & advertisers would just adapt.

There are several ways to do affiliate advertising, (for example), without needing to use cookies.

Cookies has just been the quick & easy (but still with its own flaws) standard up till now.

[tntpower]

It will be a disaster for Google and all other online advertising agencies. But Microsoft will applaud for it.

[walkman]

There's a difference between aff marketing (You came from this site so we'll credit them) with cookies that linger for months and months and are constantly read and track what you did, what you clicked etc etc.

[tangor]

Cookies are essential in some aspects... and if the user fails to opt in, they won't get the site (as it should be: pay to play). And if push comes to shove I'll be among those who will go that route: accept my cookie or get no goodies. Meanwhile, I currently do not require cookies except for a pair of forums I run, and those are for the user's benefit.

If I've read this correctly it is THIRD PARTY cookies which are in question, and I agree... I block all those already, but I know how to do that, Average Joe User doesn't. It is a big, bad, world. Fortunately Nanny is there to take care of us. </sarcasm off>