DAA Blog

Earlier this month, the Digital Advertising Alliance’s self-regulatory program passed a significant milestone, as the 10 millionth unique user exercised an opt out on the DAA’s Consumer Choice Page (https://optout.aboutads.info/).  While impressive, that number is not exhaustive, as dozens of companies offer parallel opt-outs to users through their own individual mechanisms.

The DAA’s Choice Page makes it easier for users to exercise control over how information about their interests is used for relevant advertising on the Web. This centralized cross-industry resource now includes 129 participating companies, and allows consumers to opt out with one, several, or all these companies.

Happily, the choice that consumers exercise through the DAA is only part of the much larger consumer awareness made possible by the cross-industry self-regulatory program.  Through the program’s ubiquitous AdChoices icon, which has been served trillions of times globally, consumers have gained enhanced transparency into when information about their interests is being collected or used for the ads they see online.  Awareness of the Icon has continued to rise.

Consumers clicking on the Icon literally get fingertip control over their experience -- depending on the participating...

“We’re going global, so I hope you’ve got your data passports ready,” said Peter Kosmala, senior vice president, government affairs, 4A’s, who moderated a Digital Advertising Alliance Summit 2016 Panel, “Global Exchange Around Relevance.” “These are particularly exciting times to be in interest-based advertising, not just in the U.S., but in Canada, and most certainly in Europe where there are significant changes coming very soon.” Kosmala was referencing the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield recently agreed upon and approved by the European Union (EU) and the United States. Privacy Shield will enable transatlantic data flow under the condition that necessary safeguards and transparency are upheld by the U.S. government, therefore assuring protection of European citizens.

Photo: Moderator, Peter Kosmala, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, 4A’s

Canada

Julie Ford, executive director, Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada, spoke about the accomplishments and current state of the DAA program there. A study conducted by The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) found that notice and opt-out options were given to web users 96 percent of the time in Canada – showing penetration and practice of a key tenet embodied in DAA Principles, the Consumer Control...

“We’re so focused all the time on eliminating the bad, and we forget that there’s a lot that’s good about what we do in digital advertising, and what we’re able to do using interest-based advertising and the data that we collect,” said moderator Nancy Hill, president and chief executive officer, 4A’s, during Digital Advertising Alliance Summit 2016 in Silicon Beach, Los Angeles. Data can inform location, preferences, habits, and much more, she said. Consequently, that knowledge can be used for many purposes – including social responsibility.

Photo: DAA Summit 2016 “Doing Well By Doing Good” Panel Moderator Nancy Hill, President and Chief Executive Officer, 4A’s

Take for example, the award-winning FIA [Federation for Internet Alerts], a public safety initiative.

“The Federation for Internet Alerts is really the fruition of competitors that have come together and said, ‘You know, we can serve an ad in real time and it can be relevant, but what if there’s a tornado. What can we do?’ It’s a simple mission to leverage our technology for good and give our consumers true relevancy,” said Jason Bier, president, Federation for Internet Alerts, and executive vice president, general counsel and chief privacy officer, Engine Media Group. Bier explained, “We use the technology to get the messages to people who need...

Photo: DAA Summit 2016 Accountability Panel Moderator Michael A. Signorelli of Venable LLP

Self-regulatory industry education and enforcement of Digital Advertising Alliance Principles have the flexibility to keep up with the constantly changing media platforms and the resulting novel formats for interest-based advertising. To meet this ongoing challenge, the DAA Program and its Accountability Partners [Direct Marketing Association and Council of Better Business Bureaus] provide casework that serves as an evergreen resource to all participants in the advertising ecosystem.  Each DAA enforcement represents a learning experience, not only for the companies involved but for all stakeholders.  Accountability builds a stronger marketplace by building understanding and trust between companies and the consumers with whom they engage.

“I don’t think there’s another self-regulatory program or industry that has more cops on the beat,” said Michael Signorelli, partner, Venable LLP and counsel, Digital Advertising Alliance, who moderated the panel. “We have the BBB, the DMA, and the NAI [DAA co-founding association Network Advertising Initiative] all helping us ensure that we have responsible data practices.”  NAI CEO Leigh Freund introduced the panel discussion.

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[PHOTO: During DAA Summit 2016, DAA General Counsel Stu Ingis discusses the state of self-regulation and current Federal Trade Commission priorities with Maneesha Mithal of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.]

“Not everyone realizes that one of the key partners of the DAA is the FTC,” said Stuart Ingis, partner, Venable LLP and general counsel, Digital Advertising Alliance, as he moderated a highly interactive policy discussion at the DAA Summit 2016 in Silicon Beach, Los Angeles. “We appreciate all that the Commission has done — and we’d like to hear about the agenda and continued partnership with the DAA.”

FTC Agenda at-a-Glance

According to speaker Maneesha Mithal, associate director, division of privacy and identity protection, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, the FTC’s attention over the coming months will be focused on three main topic areas: sensitive information, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT). “We feel that is where we at the FTC should be focusing a lot of our resources… and we have...