DoubleClick discontinues 'Big Brother' web tracking service

DoubleClick's Intelligent Targeting software can build up a fairly accurate interest profile of most Internet surfers by keeping track of which websites are visited and which banners are clicked on. (Yes, they definitely had an accurate profile of you!)

This profile can be used to send ads to consumers who indicated a specific interest area. If you visit sport websites 20% of the time and financial websites 80% of the time, then banner ads can be tailored accordingly on any site you visit managed by DoubleClick.

Analyst, Rob Enderle, suggested that Intelligent Targeting was "too much Big Brother, ...users didn't like the fact that they were being tracked, so at the end of the day, the technology got a bad name," Enderle said. "I think it became very difficult for retailers to use the technology, primarily because it gave them a bad name by association,"

This is a surprise move because most companies still believe that personalisation is key. Certain websites still build profiles based on webpages visited or products bought. People do not like being tracked if they are not aware of it. If these profiles are used blatantly to customise sales offers, then the public backlash could grow.