Facebook's Beacon Can Take a Privacy Lesson From VortexDNA

Christchurch, NZ September 30, 2009. Facebook data-sharing ad program Beacon should have taken a few pages from the VortexDNA approach to privacy. The New Zealand-based data provider says that you don't have to sacrifice privacy for relevance -- and they've got the case studies to prove it.

Beacon, which shared sensitive data across users' Facebook profiles, has been a disaster from the start, causing outrage over incidents like broadcasting the price paid for an engagement ring -- before the ring had been presented. In response to the widespread backlash, Facebook has had to backpedal dramatically, first changing from case-by-case opt-out to permanent opt-out, then to opt-in only, and finally cancelling the programme altogether last week.

But it didn't have to be this way. VortexDNA can help Facebook and other online services deliver high click through rates to their advertisers while preserving users' privacy. The unique VortexDNA data has been shown to accurately predict the relevance of online ads without compromising user privacy.

The effectiveness of the VortexDNA data was proven in a recent trial, in which seven million impressions of four ads were served up on CNN.com. The data generated an average improvement in clickthrough rate of 27% for the top decile of predictions. These predictions were based on request header attributes such as browser type and IP address, which are sufficient carriers of individual intent to enable VortexDNA data to improve online marketing campaigns.

VortexDNA data provides a powerful new method for improving online clickthrough rates without the need to track user history, set cookies, or store any personally identifiable user information.

With VortexDNA, online advertisers are now able to deliver personally relevant content with total privacy; 100% private personalized advertising is a reality.

About VortexDNA

VortexDNA offers a unique system for profiling users without retaining personal information, and the ability to map and codify that profile. Its predictive modeling algorithm has applications for online services, insurance, and health care.

Based on widely accepted scientific principles and years of research, VortexDNA data offers companies the ability to better anticipate how their customers are likely to act - and the ability to act on that knowledge to improve performance.