INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
How we use the Internet and the information shared, knowingly or otherwise, has become a seemingly endless issue of debate
average internet user can protect themselves in chaotic times
ad-blocker, and why should the average internet user concern themselves with seeking out this type of browser extensionGhostery is an
all-in-one privacy adblocker that gives users the cleanest, fastest, safest browsing experience on the internet
Our tool uses blocklist technology and AI-powered antitracking protection alongside our built-in ad blocker to stop trackers, block ads and
They do this by blocking requests that websites make that might be downloading an ad
To do this, ad-blockers use lists of rules, also known as filter lists, that are used to determine if a request might be loading an ad
includes site analytics, marketing tools, audio/video players and any other technologies that load content and collect user data
Ghostery does this with our Enhanced Antitracking and Smart Blocking features, which uses AI to intelligently block trackers a remove any
personal data they might be transmitting and to optimize page performance and guarantee privacy
Coupled with our built-in adblocker, these technologies make Ghostery the most comprehensive privacy and adblocking tool out there
They can also collect extremely private health information, like your sexual orientation and if you have taken an HIV test.Facebook tracks
users through its own network of trackers and cookies
Facebook uses cookies to store key account information on your browser, such as your unique member ID
your browser to read your unique member ID and thus determine that you visited that website
These trackers are then able to communicate your behavior on that website back to its servers, including what links you clicked on or what
age or sexual orientation, but that also includes vast troves of your browsing behavior
Facebook then allows third-parties to indirectly use these profiles on its platform to target you on Facebook and across the web with very
already been collected or sharedOnce your information is out there, there is not much you can do to get it back
Facebook and Google, are notoriously known for having the most tracking scripts on websites, and anyone can download their user profile that
outlines all the information each of the companies has on them
However, users should feel compelled to proactively fight back against trackers and use privacy tools and ad blockers as weapons of
for years, but only recently has it been taken to the stalker-like level of sophistication we experience today
Ad-tracking technology has become incredibly precise, monitoring every single move the online consumer makes
Advertisers know that there is a monstrous amount of money to be made when targeting consumers with tailored ads, so they harness all their
power to fine-tune tracking efforts and turn this data into an extensive profile of the online user, which is then used, and potentially
sold, to additional advertisers and retailers
With anti-tracking and ad-blocking, user clicks and browsing behavior are kept private, providing the user a cleaner browsing experience.Is
there a way for websites to profit from advertising without slowing down browsing speed and collecting personal informationThe question
certain amount of money for every ad impression or ad click they get
To maximize revenue with this approach, websites often stuff as many ads they can into a page and try to have you generate as many page
This is why many websites spread their articles over 2 or 3 pages and why they fill every available white space with an ad-spot
To command the highest CPM or CPC rate possible, websites then auction these spaces off to the highest bidder, which requires a huge network
of ad-technology companies that place real-time bids in fractions of a second on every page load to win the right to serve their ad
These bids each take only a fraction of a second, but, with dozens or hundreds of companies making multiple bids, these fractions ad up
ad-revenue, but it also produces a terribly slow, terribly un-private user experience
How do you fix thatThis is online advertisings fatal flaw, and embracing it is the original sin of the Internet
To truly profit without slowing down browsing speed or collecting personal information, websites need a new model that allows users to
directly compensate them in exchange for quality content
ad-alternative models in 5-10 years, and the Internet will be all the better for it
Internet is one where individuals compensate companies in clear transactions where value is knowingly exchanged for value
monopolize as much of our attention as humanly possible, often through questionable tactics such that are designed to make their products
We get there by abandoning advertising as the de facto engine driving the digital economy and supplement it (and perhaps ultimately replace
it) with other models that allow companies to make as much money, if not more, by creating content or building products that have real value
This is a future where users knowingly pay a price for an experience that fully justifies it.Jeremy Tillman is the director of product
business operations at Ghostery
