This case study shows that technology can be a double-edged sword. It can be the source of many
benefits. It can also create new opportunities for breaking the law or taking benefits away from
others. The Web has created new opportunities and challenges regarding privacy issues. It has also
created struggles between businesses and users regarding the vast amounts of data that are collected
from Web surfing. The misuse and abuse of data also creates moral and ethical dilemmas that
students are likely to face in the workplace.
Stakeholders in favor of behavioral tracking include:
• Individual Web sites and companies whose business is identifying and tracking Internet
users (Google, Facebook, etc.)
• Advertisers and marketers
• Law enforcement agencies
Stakeholders opposed to behavioral tracking include:
• Users who value privacy and don’t want to be inundated with advertisements
• Privacy groups who try to enforce expectations of not having unwarranted intrusions into personal lives.
2.How do businesses benefit from behavioral tracking? Do people benefit?Explain your answer.
Students should think of two questions in this case study: Which is more important to you from an
individual standpoint—the monetary interests of online advertisers and search engines or protecting
personal data as much as possible? Or, which is more important to you from a business standpoint if
you were paying for Web advertising placements—the monetary interests of online advertisers and
search engines or protecting personal data as much as possible.
3.What would happen if there were no behavioral tracking on the Internet?
To be sure, online advertising would still occur but in a less efficient way—at least for advertisers.
Online ads would operate much like ads in newspapers, magazines, and television. The ads would
be more broad-based without the ability to directly target only those who may be interested in the
ad.
By having data based on behavioral tracking, advertisers can zero in on those people most likely to
be interested in the product. That makes the ads more effective.
For users, the absence of behavioral tracking would provide more privacy. It would also lessen the
chances of the data and profiles built from them being used against individuals. The lack of
behavioral targeting would also remove the possibility of people being unfairly denied a variety of
services such as credit and insurance because of their associations with other people and their
negative behavior.
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