Billboards that look back

New technology has made it possible, using tiny cameras, to gather details about people looking at billboard ads, such as their age or gender.
(From The New York Times)

The story "Billboards that look back" published May 31, 2008 at 2:47 PM is no longer available on CNET News.

Content from The New York Times expires after 7 days.

[i_am_still_wade]

Nothing is sacred. Embarq, Comcast, and WOW! using NebuAd which has connections to the spyware company GAIN Gator and now this. A government can get this face-reading technology and deep packet monitoring technology to spy on actions. How hard would it be to set up a red flag system? All of this is scary stuff, and yet the leeches who create this stuff think we should just accept it. I live in North Carolina and I will not go to that mall which has the system. And I will not use any service that sells my browsing habits.

Advertisers are slowing turning into the worst human beings on this planet.

[postergrrl]

That is a charming response - clearly you have taken the time to understand the technology and evaluate its role in contemporary society. Tell me: do you really think it's appropriate to abuse these people that you don't know, these 'leeches' as you chose to call them.. Do you find that acceptable behaviour?

The media understands how small-minded people like you react to news of this technology and has sensationalised it to great effect. Trust me - whether or not you deem it safe to visit your local mall is of no interest to these scientists. Your uni-dimensional scaremongering is a sad, sad signpost of where contemporary America sits today. Stay home, lump.

[REdDogOne]

LOL, Privacy is a wonderful thing to Cherish. Knowing what to do to keep it (online anyways) is paramount.

JJ
http://www.Privacy-Center.net

[Mergatroid Mania]

When will someone draw a line?

How far will surveillance go before the majority wake up and take notice?

And just why is it these companies seem to be willing to go so far all the the name of the almighty buck?

[catbutt5]

Why is is that people watch movies like Minority Report that describe futuristic products such as the advertising wall that targets you by name, yet they can't grasp that what they saw was supposed to be a warning of a future gone horribly wrong and then they think... oh, cool, I'm going to build that...
Why is that a future we're rocketing towards?