1. 
DoubleClick & Internet Privacy

2. Agenda
 DoubleClick
 Business Model
 Abacus Online
 Privacy Concerns
 The Government
 The EU Initiative
 Suggestions

3. DoubleClick
 Founded in 1996 by Kevin O’Conner
 Provides internet advertising services
 Merged with Abacus Direct in 1999 for $1.7 bn
 Network includes 1500 websites & places ads on
11000 sites
 Network also includes AltaVista & Travelocity
 By 2000, DoubleClick had expanded its business
vastly

4. Business Model
 Linkage between advertising agencies and
customers
 Tracked click stream data with the help of cookies
 ID number assigned to a cookie deposited on the
user’s computer by banner ads
 DoubleClick tracked the web activities of the user;
the user’s identity remained anonymous

5. Abacus Online
 Abacus Direct is a data collection agency, working
with catalog companies
 It tracked the offline buying behavior of the
consumers along with their personal info
 Abacus online formed by DoubleClick to coalesce
the clickstream data & abacus direct’s database
 This would reveal the user’s identity, hence causing
privacy breach

6. Privacy Concerns
 Abacus Online was a tool that hampered the user
anonymity
 The users were unaware of the info being collected
& its usage
 Users unaware of the opt-out option
 No internet privacy rights existed

7. Protecting Privacy
 TRUSTe, BBBOnline & SecureAssure approved
websites
 Blocking cookies by configuring IE or Netscape
 Use of P3P technology

8. The Government
 CDT filed a case with FTC against DoubleClick for
privacy breach
 FTC voted for Congress to be the authority for
regulating internet privacy
 Thus, making it necessary for websites to provide
privacy policies & info to users on how their data
will be used

9. The EU Initiative
 The EU initiated the Privacy Directive which
prohibited the data processing without the user’s
consent
 Right to inspect personal data maintained & correct
errors, if any
 Reasonable balance between users’ rights &
business interests of data controllers
 Protected EU citizens from processors of
information in other countries

10. Disadvantages of EU Directive
 Use of cookies or other devices for click-stream
data was not specified
 Whether companies could internally transfer
personnel info from EU to their offices in other
countries

11. Suggestions
 Policies to be made rigid
 Users to be informed about their data being tracked
 Policies & practices to be certified under TRUSTe,
BBBOnline or SecureAssure
 It should be more transparent in terms of
communication with its consumers

12. 
Thank You