> That framing is based on a false premise that we have to choose between “old tracking” and “new tracking.” It’s not either-or. Instead of re-inventing the tracking wheel, we should imagine a better world without the myriad problems of targeted ads.
I don't want to be tracked. I never have wanted to be tracked. I shouldn't have to aggressively opt-out of tracking; it should be a service one must opt-in to receive. And it's not something we can trust industry to correct properly. This is precisely the role that privacy-protecting legislation should be undertaking.
Stop spying on us, please.
It also seems like FLoC could make it more politically viable to crack down non-consensual tracking. Publishers wouldn't be able to say "we have no choice but to deal with this [third party tracker] scum" but could continue to gate content by subscription or (consensual) FLoC as necessary for their business model.
Pushing publishing and advertising towards proactive consent about targeting puts them into a dialog with the market about what's ok, instead of letting them hide behind a bunch of shifting tracker businesses.
- hidden and confusingly worded opt-out dialogues - different cookie banners on ever site - dark patterns such as requiring far more clicks to opt-out than in - opt-out dialogues with lots of technical wording - sites that just don't provide opt-out options - sites that purposely degrade the ux if you opt-out
All these mean that the average "not technical" user (such as my parents) cannot reliability opt-out.
We ought to have opt-in be the default.