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Hidden Surveillance by Consumer Health Information Websites

Hidden Surveillance by Consumer Health Information Websites Jacquelyn Burkell and Alexandre Fortier Faculty of Information and Media Studies University of Western Ontario.

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Hidden Surveillance by Consumer Health Information Websites

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  1. Hidden Surveillance by Consumer Health Information Websites Jacquelyn Burkell and Alexandre Fortier Faculty of Information and Media Studies University of Western Ontario

  2. 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

  3. How common are trackers on consumer health websites? Burkell and Fortier

  4. Is there less tracking on sites recommended by information professionals? Burkell and Fortier

  5. Is there effective disclosure of behavioural tracking practices in privacy policies? Burkell and Fortier

  6. Consumer Health Info Sites • 81 Google • Results from the first two pages of Google searches of the 10 most commonly searched conditions and not among the recommended 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 Burkell and Fortier

  7. 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

  8. Finding the Trackers • Cookies • Ghostery (web beacons) • Charles (web traffic monitor) Burkell and Fortier

  9. How common are trackers on consumer health websites? Burkell and Fortier

  10. 87% of sites have trackers • On average from 10 different domains • 51% have trackers from 3rd party advertisers • On average from 2 different domains Burkell and Fortier

  11. Is there less tracking on sites recommended by information professionals? Burkell and Fortier

  12. Trackers Burkell and Fortier

  13. 3rd Party Trackers Burkell and Fortier

  14. Are some kinds of sites better than others? Burkell and Fortier

  15. Types of Sites Burkell and Fortier

  16. Trackers Burkell and Fortier

  17. 3rd Party Trackers Burkell and Fortier

  18. 3rd Party Trackers Burkell and Fortier

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. Thanks to: 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. Burkell and Fortier 2014

  24. Jburkell.ca Burkell and Fortier 2014

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