Senator Wyden Wants Paid Ad Blocking Whitelists Investigated

Senator Wyden Wants Paid Ad Blocking Whitelists Investigated

4 years ago
Anonymous $yQ5BfQaAxy

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200114/07343543729/senator-wyden-wants-paid-ad-blocking-whitelists-investigated.shtml

For years, journalists have highlighted how ad blocking companies have slowly but surely been compromising their ethics -- and products -- to make an extra buck. Several years ago you'll recall that numerous ad blocking companies were busted letting some companies' ads through their filters if they were willing to pay extra. Others collect and monetize "anonymized" data that's gleaned from what ads you're receiving and which ones you're blocking (recall that studies repeatedly have shown that anonymized data is not at all anonymous).

Enter Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who, this week, sent a letter to the FTC (pdf, hat tip The Verge) urging some greater scrutiny of the sector: