According to the FTC, Chitika's cookies that opt users out of behavioral tracking were expiring in ten days rather than the stated ten years.

The targeted Internet advertising phenomenon is viewed with growing concern by privacy advocates who fear that controversial practices like behavioral tracking are ripe for abuse.

Although behavioral tracking increases ad value and helps pay for the rich ecosystem of free content and services that users enjoy on the Internet, it raises serious privacy concerns.

EFF Media Director Rebecca Jeschke wrote a blog entry this week elaborating on the organization's views about behavioral tracking.

Another reason to be concerned about behavioral tracking is the threat of inappropriate data collection by the government, which often gets private information about ordinary citizens from private companies.

Another thing we learned is that some of our readers are extremely wary about advertiser's attempts to perform behavioral tracking online.

The Advertising Option Icon is, as it says in the name, an icon that is meant to let users know which sites are participating in behavioral tracking.

A modern day advertiser caught partaking in non-transparent behavioral tracking is likely to be highlighted by a privacy group, boycotted via twitter, and a "so-and-so-company sucks" Facebook group.

The analogy, of course, was to behavioral tracking on the Internet.

Rob in Southern Illinois is not happy about next-generation behavioral tracking and profiling systems.