Defining Privacy

Josh Chasin has some interesting thoughts today over at MediaPost's Online Metrics Insider blog about the fight over web privacy and targeted advertising. He points to the New York State legislator who wants to make it a crime for advertisers to use information about consumers in order to send them more relevant ads. Chasin's pretty sure that such a blanket ban is a bad idea, and, as I have said before, I agree.

Here's Chasin's argument in a nutshell:

Let's say you are a tall, dashing, smartly dressed Chief Research Officer at a major Internet audience measurement company, and you walk into Nordstrom's. A sales clerk you recognize comes up to you and says, "Hey, your wife's birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and we just got in those sweaters she likes.  Should I put a couple of them away for you in her size and color?"  Now let me ask you.  Does this hypothetical Chief Research Officer perceive this to be: (a) an egregious violation of his privacy, causing him to immediately rush home and write his state assemblyman; or (b) another example of Nordstrom's world-class customer service?

I suspect that most of us would choose "b." I object to advertising when it is irrelevant and/or intrusive. I do not object to advertising about things which - based on my online visits and preferences - might actually interest me.

Take a look at Chasin's post - the comments are pretty interesting as well.