The UK and Europe are actively leading the way towards the new internet data and privacy legislative ground. In a new effort, the UK government's Center for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) – an advisory body that investigates on the benefits of data-enabled technologies – published a review that aims at analyzing the potential benefits and threats of online targeting practices.
Online targeting is a set of tools used to address customized content, products, and services to individuals at relatively low costs on a massive scale. These highly sophisticated tools and the volume of data harvested in real-time on the web separates online targeting from all other “classical” targeting techniques used in the past.
CDEI’s objective is to get valuable insights and make practical recommendations to Government, industry, and society on how online targeting should be properly handled to maximize the benefits and reduce the risks.
Targeting, as defined by CDEI, is the customization of products, services and content (including social media feeds and prices) based on the data acquired on users. Intended to help people navigate the web by providing relevant content, it can also pose risks. People's understanding and scrutiny of the targeting practices are generally low, and there is an inherent risk for data privacy. Furthermore, if this data ends up in the hands of bad actors, it could potentially have adverse effects on markets and democracy.
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