Data protection in sight: Consumers no longer want tracking!

Data protection in sight: Consumers no longer want tracking!

In the digital age, targeted advertising and personalized ads are becoming increasingly present in our everyday lives. A current article from Saarbrücken newspaper describes how users increasingly feel that their online searches and activities influence their advertising. Whether browsing for a vacation destination or purchasing a device, advertising often follows consumers like a shadow.

A writer for the newspaper just did the simple test: He made a cut with his food processor and promptly received advertisements for wound plasters, even though he was by no means looking for them. While he was packing moving boxes, he noticed an advertisement for a clearing company that ended up in his mailbox by chance. These experiences raise the question of whether these are coincidences or a form of surveillance.

Complex world of personalized advertising

The legal framework surrounding personalized advertising has also evolved. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that TC strings, which represent combinations of letters and numbers, process personal data. These TC strings store user consent for data processing and are linked to the user's IP address. Loud WBS Legal The decision has far-reaching consequences, especially for companies like IAB Europe, which are responsible for implementing the “Transparency and Consent Framework”.

At a time when the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been in force for six years, the online advertising market remains an opaque jungle that makes it difficult for consumers to make informed decisions about their data. The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv) emphasizes that around 70 percent of those surveyed have a clear rejection of personalized advertising. Concepts such as tracking and profiling are not well received, and the desire for more control over personal data is strong.

The voice of the consumer

A representative survey shows that 89 percent of consumers only agree with knowledge of the purpose of their data processing. Ramona Pop, board member of vzbv, is in favor of a ban on tracking and profiling, as these practices carry the risk of discrimination and manipulation. In this context, the vzbv has drawn up 24 consumer policy demands for the coming European legislative period.

In summary, the handling of personal data in advertising raises not only technological but also ethical questions. How secure is our data really, and how much control do we actually have over the advertising we see? In a world where there is often no clear overview of data processing, one can only hope that consumer protection remains at the forefront, as developments are anything but clear and simple. Time will tell what measures will be taken to ensure both data protection and some form of transparency.