Emerging Online Cell Computer TV tracking Gets Personal

If you thought keyloggers and other spyware programs or even cookies were intrusive BlueCava, Inc. and other companies are beginning to catalog all connected consumer devices by developing a ‘digital’ fingerprint for them. So far, David Norris’s company in Irvine, California has uniquely identified more than 200 million computers, cellphones and TV set-top boxes out of 10 billion in the world, reports Julia Angwin and Jennifer Velentino-Devries in the Wall Street Journal. BlueCava estimates there are 10 billion devices currently online in the world today. The incentives to acquire and sell this kind of granulated information to the $23 billion U.S. online-ad industry alone, is monumental.

While computer, call and television set-top devices are mass-manufactured and seem relatively similar, combining the hardware with other more subtle traces extracted from the device’s online presence, such as clock settings, installed software, connection information, geographic data and other information aggregate to create a unique “fingerprint” identifier. Device fingerprinting is seen as the next step in target harvesting for online marketing. Only this time, it’s personal. Once your device is identified its activities can be tracked by the interests and activities in which these devices participate.

Device fingerprinting has been a tool for law enforcement to prevent credit card fraud and by software developers to prevent illegal software copying. But it is now an emerging tool for online marketing exploitation as advertisers look for new techniques to penetrate the awareness of Internet users. And BlueCava, Inc. is far from alone. Akami Technologies, an Internet infrastructure supplier that claims to deliver 15% to 30% of all Internet traffic is testing a method called “Deep Packet Inspection” in the U.S. and Brazil to track online traffic in much more detail for use in marketing tools. Others are 41st Parameter, already in testing on three Steel House, Inc’s. websites, an ad company in Los Angeles and Iovation, Inc. in Portland, Oregon reports it is developing device profiles to inform website content customization.

Even the most sophisticated computer and other device owners will find it difficult to know if their equipment is being monitored by these methods. Even changing a computers patterns is unlikely to avoid recognition by these trackers. And there is currently no way for these fingerprints to be deleted by the user once they have been collected. BlueCava, Ins. Says that it will offer an opt out option and that while it can track specific devices, it doesn’t trace personal information that could tie them to specific individuals. Eventually, BlueCava intends to fingerprint everything from automobiles to the electrical grid. BlueCava’s Norris spun off the company from its parent Uniloc, Inc., an anti-piracy company, and became its CEO. Mark Cuban, Texas billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks led an investment group with a $5 million investment in the company last October.

While device fingerprinting is legal so far there is proposed legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives by Bobby Rush (D, ILL.) to require tracking companies to allow those tracked to opt out of their systems.

Currently, the U.S. Congress is looking into ways to turn off online tracking by using a method similar to one that blocks phone calls from telemarketers. Website tracking is increasingly viewed as troubling invasion of privacy, the LA Times, reports. A similar do-not-track method is being considered. A House subcommittee will begin hearings this week to determine whether Congress should require such as option. The Federal Trade Commission is meanwhile asking for voluntary industry participation (citation archived at latimes.com).

“There are no limits to what types of information can be collected, how long it can be retained, with whom it can be shared and how it can be used,” said Susan Grant, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of American. “Consumers have no legal control over being spied on when they go online.”

The initiative faces strong opposition from many in the online advertising industry. “If a broad percentage of people signed on to this, it would really undercut the Internet model,” said Stuart Ingis, counsel to the Digital Advertising Alliance, a trade group whose members include Google, Inc., Microsoft, Inc. and Yahoo, Inc.

Internet privacy could become one of the few bi-partisan issues facing a sharply divided government as many Republicans and Democrats favor increasing protections for citizens using the Internet. Online privacy legislation is expected to be introduced by lawmakers early in next year’s session and is likely to include a do-not-track provision.