DAA Blog

Election 2024 may still be a year-and-a-half away – but campaigns are already starting. DSPs need to take immediate note.

Political ad transparency is in the spotlight now, thanks in part to a Federal Election Commission Final Rule for Internet Communications that enables digital political advertising to carry an “adapted disclaimer” to convey required “Paid for by” disclosures in campaign advertising for federal elections. The Final Rule took effect March 1, 2023.

This is a game changer for DAA and its Application of the Self-Regulatory Principles of Transparency & Accountability to Political Advertising, first enacted in 2018 with enforcement effect in 2020. The FEC has specifically noted that an icon-based approach can be a suitable means to deliver disclosures where time and space are limited. Thus, digital political advertising is recognized as distinct from its print and broadcast counterparts.

Image 1. New FEC rules enable an icon-based indicator and “adapted disclaimer” much as...

The DAA’s community’s strength has come from its foresight and its proactive actions to codify and live by responsible industry practices. Those practices and that commitment has allowed us to help shape policy debates, media and consumer attitudes.

In large part, this is because our community interacts with consumers every day and we know to what our customers respond favorably. Working through DAA, responsible companies have manifested this practical experience through groundbreaking privacy-enhancing tools and techniques. As the market changes, as regulators continue to increase their pressure on the industry, and as consumer engagement with media evolves, it is critical that we, as a community, continue to keep pace with the consumer expectations and new technologies.

This is our best opportunity to manage uncertainties, all the while providing consumers and our brands meaningful protections. This helps keep the ad marketplace safe for brand-consumer engagement, and paves the way for trust.

As we enter May, amid another busy legislative...

Amid this 2022 Election – with primaries among states having just completed – the Digital Advertising Alliance has undertaken program enhancements in our Political Ads Program, which I’d like to share with you here.

When we first launched the Application of Principles of Transparency and Accountability to Political Advertising (pdf) and an accompanying voter education site in 2018, many ad tech companies built it into their own platforms to help their political campaign and agency clients deliver the Political Ad icon (...

The first face-to-face Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) Summit in three years – DAA Summit 22 “All Together Now” -- featured a gathering of nearly 90 in-person participants.  We gathered to hear two days of marketplace ideas, ethics and regulatory compliance information, and – vitally – what the prospects are for a federal privacy law to counteract the emerging patchwork of state laws that, if left unchecked by Congress, could hurt businesses and confuse consumers.

One Summit highlight was U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) who is a member of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, who commented on the federal privacy debate. She underscored the importance online data-driven advertising has played both in her district and nationwide.  Following her remarks, she listened in as SMB representatives from Arizona and California talked about how vital...

Since 2009, Digital Advertising Alliance Principles have existed to extend meaningful privacy safeguards and controls to consumers while enabling a more relevant advertising experience, and facilitating a thriving, competitive digital economy that serves thousands of businesses and millions of consumers. On March 1, 2022, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, led by Rep. Janice Schakowsky (Chair, D-IL) and Gus Bilirakis (Ranking Member, R-FL), held a hearing regarding a handful of House and Senate bills introduced thus far in the current Congress which could reduce relevance and increase costs for consumers and businesses alike.

In written testimony, two organizations represented on DAA’s Board – the Association of National Advertisers and the ...