Enforcement in Action 4.0 – DAA Updates its Review of Independent Accountability Actions to Drive DAA Principles Adherence

As I post this, hundreds of privacy, compliance, marketing and legal professionals at DAA participating companies will soon receive a copy of a newly updated Enforcement in Action casebook, our fourth edition cataloging what we’ve learned from nine years of independent accountability.

Two organizations in the United States – BBB National Program’s (BBBNP) Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP) and the accountability team at Association of National Advertisers (ANA) receive complaints and inquiries, both from consumers and other businesses, regarding DAA Principles compliance. We don’t see the work they do behind the scenes – but we do benefit from the integrity their work has created.

Enforcement with Teeth – Overwhelmingly Cooperative… and Instructive

Collectively, Enforcement in Action 4.0 not only documents the casework of enforcement actions from 2011 to 2019 – but analyzes key takeaways from each decision. In more than 97 percent of cases, the resolutions are handled in a cooperative manner by companies – brands, publishers, agencies, and ad tech alike.  Even the few public referrals to government agencies serve to instruct on how to handle – or not to handle – a DAA Principles adherence query from BBBNP or ANA.  

I want to thank our counsel, Venable LLP’s Stu Ingis and Michael Signorelli and their partners and associates, and our two accountability agents BBBNP (Jon Brescia and his team) and ANA (Senny Boone and her team), for their curation and work in assembling this latest guidance for the IBA marketplace. A special thank you should also go to the DAA Staff and especially Chet Dalzell who tirelessly pulls together and religiously updates this compendium for the field. The newest volume offers insights on how to handle sensitive and location data, including transparency and control, as well as cross-device, cross-app, multi-site data collection for interest-based ads, among other areas in scope with the DAA Principles.

Responsibility starts with education – and recognizes education as a critical process.  Just as advertising innovates – so too must DAA Principles keep pace flexibly.  Enforcement in Action 4.0 helps to keep the marketplace in sync with responsible data collection for IBA purposes.

A Resource for the Entirety of the Interest-based Ad Marketplace

I’d like to call attention to some of the testimonials offered by our cross-industry Association founders regarding this resource:

”We are committed to the work of the DAA: it protects the digital marketing ecosystem and helps consumers by advancing responsible digital ad practices globally. It grants consumers enhanced transparency and control through multifaceted principles that apply to multi-site data and cross-app data gathered in either desktop or mobile environments. This transparency and choice mechanism, teamed with accountability, is incredibly valued by consumers as measured by the DAA.”

– Bob Liodice, Chief Executive Officer, Association of National Advertisers

“The agency community embraces its role as a strategic partner to brands – and that means helping to create a safe and transparent environment for brands and the consumers they serve. The DAA’s role in ensuring that the advertising ecosystem remains a responsible marketplace adhering to best practices in the collection and use of data cannot be overstated. The DAA’s continued evolution is a testament to our industry’s belief that transparency and consumer trust must drive all self-regulatory guidance.”

-- Marla Kaplowitz, President and CEO, 4A’s

“The American Advertising Federation is a long-time supporter of effective self-regulation; it is part of our ‘DNA.’ When done right, with independent enforcement, everyone benefits – consumers, brands, and even the government, whose enforcement burden is lessened. This casebook is a shining example of self-regulation done right. All businesses and brands that use interest-based advertising – be they big or small, national or local – can derive lessons and guidance from the broad range of previous accountability cases.”

-- Steve Pacheco, President and CEO, American Advertising Federation

“For 10 years, the DAA and its partners have demonstrated that the digital advertising industry works best when consumer choice is combined with high standards and strict requirements to ensure the protection of consumer data. The independent enforcement of the DAA Principles …has been a central feature of the program, promoting trust among consumers and businesses. As digital advertising continues to grow, it is critical that we remain focused on enforcing predictable and responsible privacy practices that evolve to meet consumer needs.”

-- David Cohen, President and Chief Executive Officer, IAB

“Trust is one of the most important assets our industry can employ to innovate and prosper in today’s challenging digital advertising ecosystem. Self-regulation, backed by strong enforcement as represented by the DAA Enforcement in Action casebook, plays a significant role in establishing and enhancing trust in our industry, both by consumers and business partners.”

-- Leigh Freund, President and CEO, Network Advertising Initiative

Yes, a thank you to all of them. If you’re an industry member and would like to request a casebook (each request is qualified), then please feel free to order a complimentary copy here: https://digitaladvertisingalliance.org/casebook

Thank you, too, for your efforts to keep the DAA Principles vibrant and working in service to brand-consumer relevancy, trust and engagement. It all matters greatly.