Search giant lets consumers receive generic advertising instead

Beginning at the end of August, Yahoo! users will be able to opt out of the company’s targeted, behavioral advertising system on both Yahoo! properties and third-party websites that use the company’s advertising network.

“Yahoo! strongly believes that consumers want choice when customizing their online experience and they have also demonstrated a strong preference for advertising that is more personally relevant to them,” said Yahoo! privacy head and policy VP Anne Toth in a press release. “However, we understand that there are some users who prefer not to receive customized advertising and this opt-out will offer them even greater choice.”

Users already have the ability of opting out of “customized” ads on Yahoo.com and this new option will extend that choice to reflect websites outside the Yahoo! stable.

Full article: dailytech.com 

Labels: ads, users, Yahoo

Google Maps has added a new feature that allows users to correct inaccurate locations by fine-tuning an address within 200 metres of its original label.

Business or residential locations can be tweaked, but those that are moved over 200 metres from the previous label are double-checked for accuracy by Google to prevent abuse of this feature, otherwise the moved marker appears instantly.

Businesses that have been listed and verified through Google’s Local Business centre cannot be changed, nor can government buildings or hospitals and other public buildings.

Read more: siliconrepublic.com 

Labels: buildings, mapping, Maps, users

Doomwatchers count the ways

If you use Google to send email, organize photos or help administer your website, doomwatchers have cataloged three new ways to steal your data and compromise the security of your users. All three of the techniques rely on cross site scripting, or XSS, in which hackers inject unauthorized code by making it appear as if it's hosted by a trusted website.

The most serious vulnerability resided in the so-called polls application, a part of Google Groups. It made it possible to steal contacts and messages from Gmail accounts. A Google spokesman on Monday afternoon said the flaw had been fixed.

Read more: theregister.co.uk 

Labels: flaws, users

Internet giant Google has drawn up plans to compile psychological profiles of millions of web users by covertly monitoring the way they play online games.

The company thinks it can glean information about an individual's preferences and personality type by tracking their online behaviour, which could then be sold to advertisers. Details such as whether a person is more likely to be aggressive, hostile or dishonest could be obtained and stored for future use, it says.

Read more: guardian.co.uk 

Labels: games, monitor, preferences, track, users