FTC Chairwoman Tells Ad Networks: Respect Consumers’ Choices

This week, Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez offered some advice to online ad companies: Don’t track people who don’t want to be tracked. Speaking at the Technology Policy Institute Aspen Forum, Ramirez unequivocally told ad networks to respect consumers’ wishes — even when consumers don’t convey those wishes through the tools endorsed by the industry’s self-regulatory groups. Specifically, Ramirez suggested that companies should stop tracking people who delete their cookies, or express their preferences through settings in their browsers.