Dive summary:
- Twitter has jumped into the ad retargeting ring with promoted tweets targeted towards the websites visitors have used; one notable aspect of the retargeted ads is that they are vacant of the blue triangle icon from AdChoices—the ad industry's self-regulatory program.
- The absence of the AdChoices' icon doesn't mean Twitter has forgotten user privacy altogether; the social network is honoring the "Do Not Track" option available on most browsers, meaning those opted out of tracking on their browser will not be tracked by Twitter.
- Twitter's ignoring of the AdChoices program brings into question whether the program has any staying power.
From the article:
"Far more people enable 'Do Not Track' in their browsers than opt out of behavioral ads via the so-called 'AdChoices' icon, observed Jim Brock, VP-privacy products at AVG Technologies. Because of that, he thinks Twitter and, now, Pinterest's pledge to recognize the 'Do Not Track' browser setting is potentially more valuable to consumers than the blue icon."
