The Socioeconomic Impact of Internet Tracking

This report intends to contribute a more precise understanding of tracking and its consequences, both economic and social. We describe how:

• tracking works to circulate data and affect privacy
• data circulation benefits the U.S. economy
• the publishing industry uses data to shape the ratio of free ad-supported content to subscription content
• tracking affects aspects of the consumer web experience, beyond cost
• targeted advertising reduces inventory waste
• economic power would concentrate in the hands of the largest four or five technology companies because they are independent of circulated tracking data
• loss of tracking would produce quantifiable revenue losses to independent publishers and their supporting technology infrastructure

Tens of . . .