Over the past three years, Internet users in the US have become increasingly aware of online display ad relevancy and know about behavioral advertising, according to custom market research firm Harris Interactive.
eMarketer said that US internet users are becoming aware of online behavioral advertising and are generally well-versed in key terminology, according to the research carried out by Harris Interactive.
However, users do not believe the majority of online display ads they see are relevant to their needs.
The study found that though only 30% of US Internet users said they were aware of the meaning of the phrase "do not track," the majority (84%) are aware of the term "internet cookies."
But the percentage who find at least a quarter of the display ads they see relevant to them has been growing steadily since 2008.
These same users are also becoming more familiar with the language of display advertising.
Consumers are also equally likely to recognise the terms "interest-based advertising" (66%) and "online tracking" (65%), revealing a high percentage of the US internet population that recognise they are or could be tracked and targeted.
US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Jon Leibowitz is among the advocates of a "Do Not Track" mechanism for browsers and websites to prevent Internet users from having their online activities monitored.
