Comments on: Credit Score Based Ad Targeting Being Tested by Google http://www.creditinfocenter.com/wordpress/2009/07/02/credit-score-based-ad-targeting-being-tested-by-google/ For the Up To Date News Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:08:53 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Sandra http://www.creditinfocenter.com/wordpress/2009/07/02/credit-score-based-ad-targeting-being-tested-by-google/comment-page-1/#comment-2086 Sandra Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:10:13 +0000 http://www.creditinfocenter.com/wordpress/?p=2202#comment-2086 Hi Cindy and Credit Info Staff, I was just reading the blog, " Credit Score Based Ad Targeting Being Tested by Google," and wanted to offer a few points of clarification, as some of the post is factually inaccurate and I wanted to be sure you and your readers had the factually accurate information. <ul> <li>Compete and Google did not attach individual FICO scores to its data, and have not targeted ads at individuals based on FICO score.</li> <li>There are no plans for Google to use FICO related targeting for any of its products or offerings. We don't collect or serve ads based on personal information without user permission. Research Methodology: <ol> <li>Compete conducted a clickstream analysis on their opt-in panel of 2 million US online consumers, to associate FICO score categories with sites in the Google Content Network. o The analysis took a look at the online behavior of Compete's opt-in panelists who shopped for or applied for a credit card online between January and March 2009, for the 30 days prior to the application and/or research. </li> <li>Compete, via a sister company that provides secure matching of certain characteristics (one of which is FICO scores) to anonymous/anonymized individuals in the Compete panel, segmented the opt-in panelists into one of three categories, based on their FICO score: Super Prime (720 and above), Prime (600 to 719), and Sub-Prime (below 600)</li> .</ol> </li> <li>Individual scores and personally identifiable information were not used by Compete, nor were they received by Google. </li><li>Google provided Compete with a list of all sites in the Google Content Network.</li> <li>Compete compared how panelists in each FICO band searched and where the panelists spent time on the GCN, and ranked each GCN site based on its ability to reach consumers in particular FICO score bands.</li> <li>Google received information about the ranking/scoring of the GCN sites from Compete. Google did not receive any information about individuals or their credit scores. </li> </ul> In short: <ul> <li>Google did not get — and does not have — information about the credit scores of individuals. o Google received information about the scoring/ranking of the GCN sites from Compete — not any information about the credit scores of individuals.</li> <li>The research has given Google more insight into the demographic(s) reached by GCN sites, without sacrificing privacy; individual data was not tracked or received by Google.</li> </ul> Thanks, and please let me know if you have questions or need further info. Best, Sandra Google, Inc. Hi Cindy and Credit Info Staff, I was just reading the blog, ” Credit Score Based Ad Targeting Being Tested by Google,” and wanted to offer a few points of clarification, as some of the post is factually inaccurate and I wanted to be sure you and your readers had the factually accurate information.

  • Compete and Google did not attach individual FICO scores to its data, and have not targeted ads at individuals based on FICO score.
  • There are no plans for Google to use FICO related targeting for any of its products or offerings. We don’t collect or serve ads based on personal information without user permission. Research Methodology:
    1. Compete conducted a clickstream analysis on their opt-in panel of 2 million US online consumers, to associate FICO score categories with sites in the Google Content Network. o The analysis took a look at the online behavior of Compete’s opt-in panelists who shopped for or applied for a credit card online between January and March 2009, for the 30 days prior to the application and/or research.
    2. Compete, via a sister company that provides secure matching of certain characteristics (one of which is FICO scores) to anonymous/anonymized individuals in the Compete panel, segmented the opt-in panelists into one of three categories, based on their FICO score: Super Prime (720 and above), Prime (600 to 719), and Sub-Prime (below 600)

      3. .

  • Individual scores and personally identifiable information were not used by Compete, nor were they received by Google.
  • Google provided Compete with a list of all sites in the Google Content Network.
  • Compete compared how panelists in each FICO band searched and where the panelists spent time on the GCN, and ranked each GCN site based on its ability to reach consumers in particular FICO score bands.
  • Google received information about the ranking/scoring of the GCN sites from Compete. Google did not receive any information about individuals or their credit scores.

In short:

  • Google did not get — and does not have — information about the credit scores of individuals. o Google received information about the scoring/ranking of the GCN sites from Compete — not any information about the credit scores of individuals.
  • The research has given Google more insight into the demographic(s) reached by GCN sites, without sacrificing privacy; individual data was not tracked or received by Google.

Thanks, and please let me know if you have questions or need further info.

Best, Sandra
Google, Inc.

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