Motherboard:

A commissioner at the US Federal Trade Commission who is leaving the agency after six years of working on consumer privacy issues has some critical words for the ad industry.

Speaking with Ad Age, departing FTC commissioner Julie Brill lamented the current state of consumer tracking and data collection on the web, linking the rampant rise of ad blockers with the ad industry’s foot-dragging and non-cooperation in the commission’s efforts to create privacy systems based on user consent.

Like many critics, Brill points to Do Not Track, the failed system meant to allow consumers to opt-out of invasive tracking by flagging their browsers, which the ad industry fought tooth-and-nail and eventually killed by ignoring the flags outright. She says that the industry’s resistance to doing things the “easy” way is at least partly to blame for the consumer response.

Bang on. If the industry had respected consumer wishes and respected their customers, we wouldn’t have the proliferation of ad blocking and ad blocking blockers resulting in a virtual arms race of Us vs Them.