Consumer Reports, the Bible for consumers, is accused of tracking visitors to its web site while warning its readers against the tracking practice.
AdAge says Consumer Reports uses the same kinds of tracking codes as businesses, but instead of using it to sell advertising it’s used to help sell subscriptions.
Earlier this month Consumer Reports sent its members an email warning them that they might be “unwittingly” being tracked by advertising companies online, and that they should notify their lawmakers if they don’t like it, AdAge reported.
“What Consumer Reports failed to disclose is that its own website, ConsumerReports.org, is laden with the full array of advertising-tracking technologies — the very ones they’re telling consumers to take action against. The site is home to reviews of cars, electronics, home appliances and even cardiologists — and, it turns out, it hosts a slew of third-party ad and analytics tags.”
“The tags allow Consumer Reports to track users who have visited its site and later target ads to them through the networks and exchanges associated with the tags.”
