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Dennis Dayman
Chief privacy and security offi cer at Eloqua, more than 15 years of email delivery and security experience
YES
TRACKING IS NOT a security or privacy problem when used properly with self-regulatory best practices, but it does become one when companies don't notify customers and give them the choice to opt-out. Recently, there's been much negativity about online tracking, from new federal bills being discussed on Capitol Hill to reactions to the European Union's directives to control it. What concerns me is the view that tracking, whether first- or third-party, is purely bad.
Tracking of any kind helps deliver timely and relevant advertising and messaging to a company's customers. Without it, users would receive boring, non-tailored information from senders. To make things worse, many "freemium" apps on iPhones, Androids and other devices would go away. They are free because when you download them, advertisers can show relevant ads based on your habits through opt-in tracking. If they can't show relevant ads, then the apps won't be free, and prices on services and technology will go up.
As a marketer, you need to ensure that the person you're tracking knows you're doing so. They should understand that by visiting your site and filling out a form, you...