MONTREAL – Bell Canada confirmed Wednesday that it is tracking its mobile customers’ web habits, but that data will only be used to deliver customized ads, and customers may opt out of the program at any time.
Bell said that it is collecting data such as web sites visited, apps downloaded and search terms from its mobile customers now, and that starting November 16, will use this data to deliver advertising that is “most relevant” to them. Customers were informed of the program through invoice messages, texts and emails over the last few months. It's worth noting here that Google, Twitter, Yahoo!, Amazon, Facebook and most smartphone apps all collect such data sets from users to either improve their own performance or to sell to advertisers.
Wade Oosterman, president of Bell Mobility and residential services, said that the company “strictly adhered to Canadian privacy laws in developing (the) initiative”, and that individual customer information is never released. Bell also has a page on its site to explain its practices to customers.
"Consumers who use mobile Internet services see a lot of advertising, and we want to ensure that Bell customers see the kind of advertising that actually matters to them. It won't mean you'll see more ads, but you'll see better ones," he said in the announcement. "This new program puts Bell in a position to compete with world players like Google, Facebook and others in focused online information delivery."
Data collected for the program is audience-based rather than specific to individual customers, allowing the development of targeted advertising for groups of similar users, rather than the random ads normally seen online. For instance, a report showing that 10,000 Bell mobile customers downloaded a particular gaming app, and that 80% of them were 18-25 years old, would allow advertisers to build a marketing program to serve that broad group.
Oosterman added that the program will eventually be expanded to Bell’s Internet and other service customers.
In the House of Commons, however (not to mention in much online chatter), politicians worried. In response to a question from NDP MP Charlie Angus during Question Period on Wednesday, Industry Minister James Moore confirmed the Candian Privacy Commissioner is investigating. “Bell has raised a number of new policies that are of concern to consumers," Moore told the House. "The good news… is that the Privacy Commissioner, who I met with yesterday, is looking at this matter and those Canadians who are concerned about the new policies that Bell is putting forward, have an avenue to register their concerns and be involved in a process to allay those concerns effectively through the regulator."
Bell competitor Videotron made its own use of the ongoing kerfuffle by pledging it would not do what Bell is doing, noting in a press release that it "has maintained a relationship of trust with consumers for nearly 50 years (and) wishes to assure its customers that it does not sell the information it obtains about customers in the course of its activities to other companies. Videotron uses such information only for the purpose of providing customers with goods and services. Videotron is strongly committed to safeguarding its relationship with its customers.
"Videotron has adopted a Privacy Statement, a clear code of conduct drafted in accordance with applicable provincial and federal legislation, the decisions and rules established by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and industry practice."
– Lesley Hunter and Greg O'Brien
