By Megan Allinson (Account Supervisor)
Am I pissed off? No. Let down? Not really. Annoyed? Yes.
But I often wonder if the average consumer, one who is not immersed in advertising and marketing, does get upset by lack of transparency over how data on them is collected and then used.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Verizon Wireless $1.35 million for the use of “Supercookies” – an undeletable, unique identifier businesses drop onto their customers’ computers and mobile devices to track their online behavior and website visitation.
Why were they fined? In the digital world we live in, Verizon Wireless failed to notify customers that they’d be tracking and collecting data on mobile online behavior to better understand their customers and, in turn, enable websites to better target ads to visitors with Verizon Wireless service.
Under the Communications Act and Open Internet Transparency Rule, companies are required to inform consumers how they’re going to use the information they collect. Apparently, when Verizon Wireless launched the use of supercookies back in 2012, they never informed their customers, and it wasn’t until a year ago that they updated their privacy policy and included an opt-in.
If I were to put myself in the shoes of an everyday consumer, I’d probably be disappointed that I wasn’t informed my mobile carrier was tracking my behavior, and I’d likely lose a little trust in them.
But I happen to understand, as do the majority of the people probably reading this, why Verizon Wireless would want to collect and track customer information about online usage and behavior – they want to get to know their customers better and enable more targeted and relevant advertising.
However, part of building relationships and offering a positive user experience is being transparent. Consumers have come to terms that advances in technology have allowed companies and brands to collect more and more rich data, but if companies want to engage and build trust over time, they must be upfront about what data they’re collecting, how they’re going to use it, and who else might be using it.
In my opinion, consumers should know and have a say in what companies are tracking and how they’re using that data. What do you think?
PS: I don’t mean to call Verizon Wireless out, and I should note that other carriers are also under investigation by the FCC under the Open Internet Transparency Rule.
CONSIDER ALSO READING – Improving Customer Retention With Existing Data
The post Supercookied: A Call For Transparency In Data Collection appeared first on Wilde Agency.
