The Reign of Botnets

7Internet User Privacy

This chapter discusses the privacy conundrum when dealing with fraud and bot detection and the evolving impact on the effectiveness of bot and fraud management products.

The Privacy vs. Security Conundrum

Developing accurate bot detection in a world where threats and the Internet ecosystem constantly evolve is complex. But what adds even more complexity into the mix is the evolution of privacy standards and regulations and the introduction of features developed by browser vendors or independent focus groups that, over time, reduce the quality of the data collected from the client and consequently impact the accuracy of fraud and bot detection products.

For years, online advertisers, marketers, social media, and large tech companies have collected massive amounts of data about their users to understand what system they run, where they are, and what they like. With all that data, one can figure out who they are, which is a significant intrusion into their privacy. This data is used for several purposes, from recommending content to users to increasing the time they spend on the site and increasing ad revenue or enticing them to buy products. In the worst-case scenario, the data can be used to send users targeted content and influence their opinions on various matters. Because of the historical lack of guidance or regulation on how the data should be handled, ...