App Aims To Ease Smartphone User Concerns Over Targeted Online Ads

Seventy-seven percent of U.S. smartphone users moderated their online activity over the previous year due to privacy concerns, said a November-December survey of 1,000 adults by Ipsos for TRUSTe. Of those who moderated their activity, 74 percent reported not clicking on an online ad due to privacy concerns, said TRUSTe, which provides technology for users to opt out of targeted ads via the Digital Advertising Alliance’s AdChoices icon. By clicking on the icon, users can opt out of personal targeting on desktop or mobile devices within a specific ad, on a website or by using the TRUSTe mobile app, it said. Citing the research, TRUSTe CEO Chris Babel said that Americans are uneasy about having their online activity tracked for use in targeted ads because “they feel like they have limited control." As more consumers understand how their information is being tracked and the choices they have to opt out, the more they'll "embrace the concept of Online Behavioral Advertising and realize the benefits, such as receiving great deals from their favorite online retailers,” he said.