Mobile Ad Firms Seek New Ways to Track You

Few smart-phone users realize it, but mobile ad companies track them as they use many free apps. They do this in order to fine-tune the ads the users see. But now that Apple has started to restrict a common way of tracking users, ad companies are scrambling for alternatives, and hoping to "teach" consumers to appreciate the targeted ads that support free apps. Alarge consortium of mobile ad firms launched a new technical approach to tracking users of free apps. The consortium says the new method protects users' privacy, and will allow people to opt out if they prefer not to have their behavior logged. That opt-out mechanism would be modeled on those offered by online-ad companies for people who do not want their browsing history used to tailor ads.