NEW YORK, NY – October 13, 2016 – The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) today announced that enforcement of its guidance on the Application of the DAA Principles of Transparency and Control to Data Used Across Devices (DAA cross-device guidance) will begin on February 1, 2017. The DAA cross-device guidance will be independently enforced by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) and the DMA, which provide ongoing independent oversight of the DAA Principles.
“The DAA Principles have kept pace with technological advances and changes in advertising business models, and the DAA cross-device guidance helps companies consistently apply the DAA hallmarks of enhanced consumer transparency and control across our rapidly expanding multi-device, multi-browser world,” said DAA Executive Director Lou Mastria. “This enforcement date sets a common marker for the industry to achieve compliance with the DAA cross-device guidance, so consumers have access to more uniform notice around cross-device practices and know their choices on each browser or device are honored.”
The DAA cross-device guidance explains how the DAA Principles apply to browser- and app-based choices made by a consumer to data collected on that browser or device for use elsewhere. It also confirms that consumer choice applies to data collected elsewhere for use on that browser or device. The guidance helps apply a consistent self-regulatory framework to the collection and use of such data across the multiple computers and mobile devices used by consumers.
“For self-regulation to be effective, companies need clear guidance on how to stay in compliance as technology and business practices evolve,” said Stu Ingis, DAA General Counsel. “As consumers adopt an ever increasing array of new devices, the DAA cross-device guidance will help companies understand how to provide notice and choice in cross device environments.”
The DAA was created to implement cross-industry self-regulation of data collection and use for interest-based advertising (IBA). The DAA Principles provide consumers with enhanced notice and choice about such data collection and use. The DAA Principles apply to all companies engaged in IBA and multi-site, cross-app data collection for covered activity. The DAA has also issued guidance in recent years to address the growth of mobile usage (“Application of Self-Regulatory Principles to the Mobile Environment”) and multi-site data usage (“Self-Regulatory Principles for Multi-Site Data”).
“With today’s consumers using five to six connected devices per day, marketers are striving to know their customers across devices to deliver relevant and engaging offers,” said Tom Benton, DMA’s CEO. “While DMA is working with its members to remove the barriers to effective cross-device identification, we are also building upon more than 60 years of effective industry self-regulation for the enforcement of DAA’s cross-device guidance. These dual efforts show the agility of industry self-regulation to provide consumers with choice and protection while allowing innovation to flourish and expand the U.S. economy.”
Beginning on February 1, 2017, the CBBB and DMA will begin to enforce compliance with the DAA cross-device guidance for all companies engaged in data collection and use covered by the DAA Principles. Companies with questions regarding their compliance obligations and the enforcement process can contact the CBBB at GBarton@council.bbb.org or the DMA at ethics@the-dma.org.
“In the five years since the Accountability Program began enforcing the DAA Principles, we have seen the DAA time and time again adapt to meet the challenges brought by the constant evolution of digital advertising, with its technical complexities, lightning-fast transactions, rapidly shifting scenarios and constant innovation,” said Genie Barton, VP of Digital Advertising for the CBBB. “This is the latest example of industry’s commitment to providing transparency and control to consumers and ensuring that there is independent, impartial enforcement to demonstrate the strength of this commitment.”
To date, more than 70 compliance actions have been publicly announced by the DAA Accountability Programs, based on their vigorous compliance monitoring as well as review of consumer complaints. The CBBB and DMA encourage consumers, businesses, or other stakeholders to report practices that may violate the cross-device guidance or DAA Principles at https://digitaladvertisingalliance.org/enforcement.
