FW: Behavioral Insider: IPv6 To Profile Behavior

from my friend Mitch:

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If you were worried about cookies tracking your behavior online, wait till we see what marketers do with the unique device identifier capability of Internet Protocol version 6, which was to be tested today for the first time by a large number of companies.

 

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From: MediaPost Publications <news@mediapost.com>

 

IPv6 To Profile Behavior by Laurie Sullivan , Wednesday, June 8, 2011 Google, Microsoft, Bing, and others expect June 8, 2011 (today), also known as IPv6 Day, to go off without a hitch. This is the day more than 400 companies will test the ability to send packets of information and data signals across Web sites and nodes, seamlessly.   Previously the Internet ran on Internet Protocol version 4. But with so many connected devices that require an IP address, the Internet is running out. No IP address; no connection. So, engineers and scientists have been working for years to transition to the next generation Internet protocol, IPv6.   I wrote an article on the topic back in May 2006, citing research firm IDC's estimate that by 2012 the Internet would support about 17 billion devices, extinguishing the addresses required to connect them. Back them, Frost & Sullivan's principal analyst Sam Masud told me that by "2012, that's when we estimate the world will be out of IPv4 addresses," no exaggeration.   What I didn't know at the time is how IPv6 would have the ability to profile Internet behavior to more accurately target online ads.   So, why should brands that rely on online ad targeting, and companies building online ad-targeting products, care? IPv6 will change behavioral targeting in ways most won't or can't talk about -- because they really don't know. IPv6 could likely require companies to go back to the drawing board and renegotiate privacy laws with the SEC because of the ability to identify more granular data collected through ad targeting.   The new protocol offers an infinite number of addresses, so many that each device in the entire world can have its own. Think of the address as a unique identifier. This means advertisers will have the ability to identify the specific device, location and more. No longer will devices from one location or block be clumped together as the signals go through the Internet gateway.   When that happens, the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 will have a significant impact on the online advertising industry including faster speeds when serving up ads. Most executives in the online advertising space have yet to realize or understand its impact. Google, Microsoft, Bing, and Facebook execs working to make the transition a success already know the benefits to search and the benefits to ad targeting.   This commentary is insightful. I recommend it to others. Be the first of your friends to "like" this. Post your response to the public Behavioral Insider blog. See what others are saying on the Behavioral Insider blog. Laurie Sullivan is a writer and editor for MediaPost. Behavioral Insider for Wednesday, June 8, 2011: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=151954 You are receiving this newsletter at xxx as part of your membership with MediaPost. If this issue was forwarded to you and you would like to begin receiving a copy of your own, please visit our site - www.mediapost.com - and become a complimentary member. For advertising opportunities see our online media kit. We welcome and appreciate forwarding of our newsletters in their entirety or in part with proper attribution. (c) 2011 MediaPost Communications, 15 East 32nd St., 7th floor, New York, NY 10016