Adobe is watching you. No, seriously. They are.
The tech giant announced that it will be offering marketers a better way to view their customers as they switch between devices, all thanks to Adobe's launch of a "cross-device co-op."Behemoths like Facebook and Google have no problem tracking people across devices because of the sheer volume of logged-in users that they have, and because of the fact that people are as quick to search Google on their tablet as on their phone or PC.But other companies with a smaller user base (like Adobe) must rely on IP addresses, cookies, and other sneaky methods to make sure their targeting is correct.That's all going to change and they are going to get
way more access to all of your devices.Keep reading to find out how they're going to spy on you.
How's this going to work?
Basically, Adobe is going to get access to all of your devices by working with different marketers, AKA their partners in snoopery.Businesses that have your login information will "compare notes" and trade your information between each other so that they have a more well-rounded picture of your browsing habits.If an online e-commerce store has the browsing information from your iPhone, and a travel site has the browsing info from your desktop, the two businesses will share login information so that both companies can serve better ads to you, the consumer.That's a nice way of saying that they're working together to sell you more stuff.It's all about making more money....Shocker.Pretty creepy stuff, huh?
But wait, you can avoid all of this - sort of
The Future of Privacy Forum and Adobe are working together to give you a way to opt out of this whole fiasco.But this opt-out will need a cookie from your computer or other device to remember that you've opted out of the co-opSo, they have to store your information so they don't...store...your information??
What's Next: A better user experience
As more companies track our every move, the problem isn't just privacy, it's user experience. Adobe lets people opt out, but how transparent is that option for the average user?Let's be honest - you've never bothered to read a privacy policy, and neither have I. Companies know this, and they take advantage of it in order to track your behavior online.We need clear, SIMPLE, easy opt-out policies for this kind of technology so we continue to control our digital experience and see the content we want to see; not just the content advertisers want us to see.
Image credit: businessinsider.com, html5rocks.com 