As if the ad industry hasn’t seen enough bad news lately, a new study found that two-thirds of Americans polled don’t agree with advertisers tracking their online habits. Here are some of the key takeaways from the research (as reported by the New York Times):

• 66 percent of Americans believe tailored ads are “not OK”
• 7 percent said such ads are not OK when they are tracked on a site
• 18 percent said ads are not OK when they are tracked by another site
• 20 percent said it is not OK to be tracked offline

In addition to the bad news for advertising, the research showed that 51 percent said tailored discounts are OK and 58 percent think customized news is OK. The article then went on to discuss several forms of online privacy legislation that could be introduced soon.

So, to sum up the research, Americans don’t want to to be tracked online for data purposes, yet a majority still want free stuff and tailored news. It doesn’t make much sense to me, mostly because I’m looking at it through a marketing eye and know that online content isn’t even sustainable with this kind of advertising, let alone advertising that is not tailored. This research is interesting because younger generations seem to have a more liberal perception of online privacy, while older generations are cautious with anything out there. No matter what, it seems this is just the beginning of the age of anti-advertising and it probably will be around for a while.

People have always wanted stuff for free and the Internet conceptualized people’s wildest imaginations in terms of information access. However, we’ve become so used to free that it will be hard to wean off, especially since the imminent rise of paid content and the limited access Web is beginning to emerge.

In terms of the legislation, it’s bad news for news outlets if it passes. Even though the industry is trying to self-regulate, the research shows people are more concerned about the idea of being tracked online. While many Web sites like the Times itself are free, this will probably have a negative effect on online ad sales. The free Internet model will once again come into question and unfortunately, it will most likely make Rupert Murdoch look really smart.

So, what’s next? Where will advertising turn next in the age of anti-advertising? How does this impact public relations?

Photo by Alejandrooo on Flickr.

When you or your company move online, you’ll probably come across people who love your brand and people who really don’t. Within those groups, you’ll find people who identify themselves and people who don’t. I don’t like anonymous comments or faulty Twitter accounts, but I think we will continue to see that segment of online users shrink.

In a sense, the blogosphere is way ahead of mainstream news when it comes to this. Look at the comments on my blog — they are all from great people who have agreed (and disagreed), yet they always add their e-mail address (only I have access to it) and most link to a blog or another social profile. Go to the Detroit Free Press, on the other hand, and how many people identify themselves as their real name? Not too many.

I came across an article from the Tech Liberation Front and the article discussed the future of online anonymity. Facebook is an example of a social networking community that is reducing online anonymity. Go check out the State News site and you will see that an alternative to posting an anonymous comment is to link your Facebook profile to your comment. I couldn’t love this much more. Here’s why:

• Anonymity doesn’t hold anyone accountable. If you say something stupid online without identifying yourself, it’s pretty immature.
• Anonymity lacks rationality. Because you can’t be found, people can use the internet to rant.
• People don’t always know the different between a legit source of information and something that’s totally off. Hence, crazy debates (worth a click) on news articles often occur between anonymous figures on opposite ends of the spectrum — this leads to a lot of misinformation between tossed around.

I think online anonymity makes people feel more safe and secure to act inappropriately. The thought process probably goes somewhat like this: “Gee, I know it’s bad to say a-b-c online, so I’ll make a fake Twitter profile and say what I want and no one will know who I am.” Not only does this happen with consumers and brands, but it also happens with employees and their companies. Unfortunately in this day and age, more and more people are getting caught. As I posted above, remember Twittergate? Yeah, that sure made the other firm look bad. So much for anonymity?

So, before you make a Twitter account you don’t want professionals to know about or rant on a personal blog no one knows is yours, know that online anonymity isn’t so secure. Furthermore, it just really isn’t a good idea. As creepy as it sounds, you can probably be found in more places than you’d like.

Working in public relations, I have seen a lot more of the negative stuff come from online anonymity. But what do you think? Do you think there limits to putting too much information online?