By Lou Mastria
DMA & IAB Note the Importance of Nimbly Adapting Transparency & Control Tools – AppChoices Gets a ‘Shout Out’
The age of “Big Data” is upon us – and in marketing, there are many applications with interest-based advertising being one such example.
Earlier this month, two of DAA’s founders – Interactive Advertising Bureau and Direct Marketing Association – both filed public comments with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as they pertain to “Big Data and Consumer Privacy in the Internet Economy.”
IAB referred to the Digital Advertising Alliance and its Self-Regulatory Principles early in its comments: “Launched in 2009, these Self-Regulatory Principles… have been widely implemented across the online advertising industry, and are vigorously enforced through longstanding and effective self-regulatory accountability programs. The Self-Regulatory Principles are reflected in IAB’s Code of Conduct for its members.”
Later on, IAB stated, “…the IAB believes the current U.S. regulatory approach strikes the right balance by addressing the potential for concrete harms in specific areas, while otherwise enabling the free flow of data and fostering innovation in customer-friendly advertising. This sector-specific approach is complemented by robust self-regulatory efforts by industry. The Administration has not identified any new privacy issues presented by big data that cannot successfully be addressed under this existing approach.”
IAB noted the forthcoming AppChoices solution: “A new DAA solution for mobile notice and control, expected to launch later this year, demonstrates how industry solutions can adapt nimbly over time as technology evolves.”
The Direct Marketing Association, in its comments, noted the economic powerhouse that is data-driven marketing today: “Namely, the analysis of big data by marketers has made it easier and more efficient to connect consumers with the products and services they desire. According to a recent study, the resulting Data-Driven Marketing Economy added $156 billion in revenue to the U.S. economy and fueled more than 675,000 jobs in 2012 alone.”
DMA commented: “The DAA administers the Self-Regulatory Principles in order to provide consumers with effective transparency and choice regarding the collection and use of web viewing information and data gathered from mobile devices including precise location data and personal directory data. DMA is one of two accountability programs enforcing the DAA program. The DAA program also prohibits the use of marketing data for credit eligibility, employment eligibility, healthcare eligibility, or insurance eligibility or underwriting purposes.”
