BlueCava to ‘Fingerprint’ One Billion Internet Enabled Devices by 2012
Cookies have long been used to track web user’s browsing activities for advertising purposes. However, they can easily be blocked, and with the rising popularity of cell phone web browsing, it is becoming more difficult to effectively track browsing habits.
David Norris, founder of start-up company BlueCava, Inc., is on a mission to collect the digital equivalent of fingerprints from every computer, cellphone and TV set-top box in the world. The fingerprints will be used to track online behavior, shopping habits and demographics. He plans to sell this information to advertisers willing to pay top dollar for detailed data about people’s interests and activities.
According to Norris, it’s “the next generation of online advertising.” His timing couldn’t be better as ad companies are looking for new techniques to heighten their surveillance of Internet users. BlueCava says the information it collects about devices can’t be traced back to specific individuals and that it will offer people a way to opt out of being tracked.
As controversy grows over intrusive online tracking, regulators are looking to address the issue. Later this week, the Federal Trade Commission is expected to release a privacy report calling for a “do-not-track” tool for Web browsers. As of right now, device fingerprinting is perfectly legal.
Norris’ idea will allow advertisers to build profiles of the people using the devices it has identified. For instance, BlueCava will know that a fingerprint registered at a game website is from someone who likes virtual-reality games. BlueCava plans to link the profiles of various devices—cellphones and laptops for instance—that appear to be used by the same person.
“I think cookies are a joke,” Mr. Norris recently stated. “The system is archaic and was invented by accident. We’ve outgrown it, and it’s time for the next thing.”
Source: “Race Is On to ‘Fingerprint’ Phones, PCs” by
Julia Angwin and Jennifer Valentino-Devries from WSJ
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