hidden surveillance by consumer health information websites jacquelyn burkell and alexandre fortier...
TRANSCRIPT
Hidden Surveillance by Consumer Health Information Websites
Jacquelyn Burkell and Alexandre Fortier
Faculty of Information and Media StudiesUniversity of Western Ontario
Burkell and Fortier
Most Canadians consider health information to be extremely sensitive. It is inappropriate for this type of information to be used in online behavioural advertising.
Interim Privacy Commissioner Chantal Bernier, Jan 15 2014
Burkell and Fortier
Is there effective disclosure of behavioural tracking practices in privacy policies?
Burkell and Fortier
Consumer Health Info Sites
• 83 Recommended– Consumer and Patient
Health Information Section of the American Medical Library Association
– Consumer Health Information Providers Interest Group of the Canadian Health Libraries Association
• 81 Google– Results from the first
two pages of Google searches of the 10 most commonly searched conditions and not among the recommended sites
Burkell and Fortier
Types of Trackers
• Analytics– Feedback to the site itself– Used by site to improve delivery
• Advertising– Third party advertisers– Assemble user profile across sites for ad targeting
Burkell and Fortier
Finding the Trackers
• Cookies • Ghostery (web beacons)• Charles (web traffic monitor)
Burkell and Fortier
87% of sites have trackersOn average from 10 different domains
51% have trackers from 3rd party advertisersOn average from 2 different domains
Burkell and Fortier
Types of Sites
Recommended Google0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
GovernmentNon-ProfitOther
Burkell and Fortier
3rd Party Trackers
Recommended Google0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
GovenrmentNon-profitOther
Burkell and Fortier
The Bottom Line
• Most consumer health information sites have trackers
• About half have tracking from 3rd party advertisers– Commercial sites most commonly– Government sites least commonly
Burkell and Fortier
The Bottom Line
• Recommended sites have less tracking– But only because information professionals are
more likely to recommend government sites– Commercial sites that are recommended are no
better than those returned on Google with respect to tracking, not-for-profit sites are actually worse
Burkell and Fortier
Most Canadians consider health information to be extremely sensitive. It is inappropriate for this type of information to be used in online behavioural advertising.
Interim Privacy Commissioner Chantal Bernier, Jan 15 2014
Burkell and Fortier
The Response
• Regulatory control of behavioural tracking measures
• Digital literacy initiatives– Increased knowledge of behavioural tracking
mechanisms and consequences– Public and professional education on strategies to
identify and limit behavioural tracking
Burkell and Fortier 2014
The opinions expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
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