Online data and tracking companies are partnering to develop a service that lets internet users see and even edit what information has been collected about them. This first of its kind service, which will launch in January, is an attempt to head off an increasing amount of criticism and scrutiny regarding personal privacy on the Internet.
The project, dubbed the “4fb471e10fdc5”, will let consumers view and edit the interests, demographic and other profile details collected about them. Details from eight online data and tracking information companies will included in the system, including Lotame Solutions Inc., BlueKai Inc., and eXelate. Big internet companies like Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. and at least 100 tracking firms are not involved in the project. However, more tracking companies will join Open Data Partnership after it launches.
Many of the data mining firms taking part in the project are among the biggest in the fast growing industry of tracking internet users, and have been profiled in mainstream media reports about online privacy. Scott Meyer explained “The government has told us that we have to do better as an industry to be more transparent and give consumers more control. This [4fb471e10fdc5] is a huge step in that direction”. Meyer is CEO of Better Advertizing Project, a start-up company in New York managing the Open Data initiative.
