

Targeted ads might be a brass ring for the online marketers, but consumers just aren't buying it. According to a recent Harris Interactive survey, 59 percent of Americans take exception to Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo tracking their online activities for marketing purposes.

The nationwide survey was conducted with the help of Dr. Alan F. Westin, Professor of Public Law and Government Emeritus at Columbia. Westin argues that the distrust stems from consumers disbelief of the value proposition offered by marketers.

"Websites pursuing customized or behavioral marketing maintain that the benefits to online users that advertising revenues make possible – such as free emails or free searches and potential lessening of irrelevant ads – should persuade most online users that this is a good tradeoff, said Westin. He added, "Though our question flagged this position, 59 percent of current online users clearly do not accept it."

The trick to winning over younger consumers? Transparency. After four privacy policies were shown to respondents, a majority claimed that they were more comfortable with the sharing of their data for advertising purposes.

Westin offers a couple explanations as to why the older crowd remain skeptical:

The failure of a larger percentage of respondents to express comfort after four privacy policies were specified may have two bases - concerns that web companies would actually follow voluntary guidelines, even if they espoused them, and the absence of any regulatory or enforcement mechanism in the privacy policy steps outlined in the question.

Be sure to hit up Harris Interactive for the full set of metrics!