ATL APPLAUDS YAHOO'S PRIVACY PROTECTION DECISION - 08/11/2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             CONTACT:  Kristina Grabosky         

August 11, 2008                                                                                              703-683-5004                                                                                                 

ATL APPLAUDS YAHOO’S PRIVACY PROTECTION DECISION

WASHINGTON, DC - In a pro-consumer move, Yahoo announced today they will be giving consumers the option to opt-out of targeted advertising. This comes on the heels of Congress investigating privacy concerns surrounding the possible search deal between Google and Yahoo. Americans for Technology Leadership applauds this decision by Yahoo as they are responding to the consumer demand for greater privacy protection.

“Greater transparency is needed in the technology, and especially the search, industry as to exactly how personal consumer data is being used and Yahoo is taking the important first step in letting consumers decide if they want to be targeted for advertising,” said Randy Skoglund, executive director of Americans for Technology Leadership.

As consumers search online, their data is being recorded and kept by the technology companies who own the search engines. It’s important to read the privacy policies on different search engines since some companies keep data for a shorter amount of time than others and use that data differently.

“Respecting and protecting consumer privacy is important to technology users everywhere especially when it comes to search where people use the web to find important information for very personal reasons involving their health and personal finances,” continued Skoglund. “We applaud Yahoo & Microsoft for their leadership in this space.  However, until search giant Google, with over 70% share in US and 90% in Europe, voluntarily agrees to do the same consumers will not benefit as they should.”

“With increased scrutiny from regulators it’s this kind of voluntary response to consumer concerns that helps high tech markets continue to grow, remain innovative and avoids the type of government regulations that could lead to unintended consequences,” concluded Skoglund.