Invisible trackers aside, it's simply gross that local government sites have banner ads on them. Have some pride and/or taste!
For example, Enfield council ( enfield.gov.uk ) is using Google's ad server (DFP) set to show only internal ads. All their advertising is for cross-promoting projects and sites that Enfield council is involved with, including pest control, social lettings, a publicly-funded golf course, school meals...
It's not showing ads from GDN (Google Display Network) or elsewhere, it seems to only show these internal promotions.
Plus there's no provisions for an alternative format to the 30 page paper form. Not very independent if handwriting is an issue (the target demographic is people with disabilities).
Don't get me started on the actual assessment/ assessor. (it's been a long day going through this stuff).
Just because that has become normal for "the online ad ecosystem" over the past few years doesn't mean that it should be acceptable or that we cannot try to stop it.
Where do you stop? Is Google Analytics evil too? What about Twitter feeds?
Absolutely.
> What about Twitter feeds?
In what context? Including/embedding Twitter cookies and/or Javascript in pages paid-for by citizens, which citizens are required to use to exercise their rights? Absolutely.
As a non-exclusive outlet to disseminate information via an independent site (twitter.com), which anyone is free to avoid and ignore? That's fine.
Should they use an alternative platform? probably not, because twitter is the biggest and best known, so you could argue you can reach the most people with it.
So they're excluding people who don't use twitter? Why can't their web pages be the main source of real-time information?
Yes, Google Analytics has many of the same problems. The alternative to that is to analyze the server logs or to simply not track your users' behaviour in detail.
that's unpossible
Yes. Both bad.
You have to consider DFP is a software tool, it would be like Slack selling your data so other SaaS can target you when you are talking about buying a new CMS.
Right, but being a privacy nightmare is their business plan
https://i.imgur.com/qwuU5Sx.png
So the banner ads being strictly council related is certainly not universal.
fear mongering is "you're in danger, buy this for us to save yourself"
not exactly a thin line
I worked a summer shift at a heavy machinery factory just after high school before college. I was the single and only person, to my knowledge, that made use of the provided ear and air protection (a face mask and ear plugs, given that we worked with fiberglass with incredibly loud machines).
I was told multiple times that I was "paranoid" and faced a negative reaction because someone protecting themselves pierced a hole in the delusion that everything was fine.