Behavioral Advertising

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As a follow-up to our previous article, the Indianapolis Colts are moving to move venues in a federal class action lawsuit to Indiana.  The plaintiff alleges that the beacon technology integrated in the Colts mobile application secretly recorded all user’s audio, including private oral conversations, for purposes of targeted advertising.  In the latest development…

On October 27, 2016, the FCC adopted a new set of privacy and data security regulations applicable to “broadband service providers and other telecommunications carriers.”

The rules place new restrictions on internet service providers’ (“ISPs”) ability to use and share their customers’ data. The Commission established two data classifications: (1) sensitive information, and (2) non-sensitive…

In 2007, Google bought online ad network DoubleClick, which uses cookies to collect and store data about Google users from their browsing history, to best place clients’ ads. This past June, Google revised its privacy policy to state that users’ activities on other sites tracked by DoubleClick “may be associated with [their] personal information.”  This…

This month, the Indianapolis Colts, app developer Yinzcam, Inc., and ultrasonic technology provider Lisnr, Inc., were hit with a federal class action lawsuit in Pennsylvania for violating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act by allegedly allowing the Colts fan app to listen in on users’ personal phone conversations, and use that information for advertising purposes without…

Last week, the Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program (Accountability Program) released a compliance warning regarding the use of online-behavioral advertising (OBA) in conjunction with native advertisements. The compliance warning states that native advertisements tailored to a consumer based on the consumer’s browsing history (i.e., OBA) must comply with the Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising (“OBA Principles”), just like any traditional-based advertisement utilizing OBA would. Enforcement of the compliance warning will begin January 1, 2015.

The Accountability Program was developed by leading industry associations in order to regulate online behavioral advertising across the Internet. The Program issues compliance warnings to provide guidance on how to comply with the OBA Principles. The two key pillars of the OBA Principles are transparency and consumer control. The transparency principle requires companies to ensure that consumers are aware when their data is being collected for OBA purposes. The consumer control principle requires companies to provide consumers with an easy-to-use mechanism to opt out of having their data collected.
Continue Reading OBA Principles Have Gone Native!

In January, President Obama called on senior government officials to lead a review of the implications of Big Data for privacy, the economy and public policy. A Federal Register Notice by the White House’s Science and Technology Policy Office sought comments from industry participants on a variety of issues related to Big Data. Earlier this week, the ANA submitted its comments in response to the Notice, focusing on the public policy implications of the collection, storage, analysis, and use of Big Data. In determining what the potential concerns of Big Data are, the ANA said that the focus should be on the sensitivity and potential vulnerability to harm of the data, not the amount of data in and of itself. As an example, the ANA pointed out that, “[c]ommercial privacy issues must not be allowed to be conflated with government surveillance and potential reforms at the NSA. These issues must not be confused with interest-based advertising or online behavioral advertising (OBA).” The ANA also urged that any governmental decisions about commercial data collection and use be made “carefully, correctly and judiciously.” In its comments, the ANA highlighted the progress made over the past few years by the private sector to enhance privacy protections for consumers, making specific reference to the self-regulatory efforts by the Digital Advertising Alliance.
Continue Reading ANA Submits Comments on Big Data in Response to Request for Information

The countdown is underway to the deadline when the digital marketing ecosystem needs to be in compliance with the Digital Advertising Alliance guidelines for Online Behavioral Advertising. Failure to comply may expose brands and companies to actions by the Online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program and potentially negative press releases.
Continue Reading The Countdown to Compliance Has Begun

In its first ever compliance warning, the Online Interest-Based Advertising Accountability Program Council (“Accountability Program”) noted that many website operators are omitting notices of data collection for online behavioral advertising (“OBA”) on their websites where third parties, such as ad networks, are not able to provide notice without the website operator’s assistance. Such notices are required under the Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising (“OBA Principles”).

In an effort to encourage compliance, the Council has delayed enforcement against first parties that fail to provide the required enhanced notice beginning until January 1, 2014.
Continue Reading BBB Accountability Program Reminds Advertising Industry to Act Now to Comply with Enhanced Notice

The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), the self-regulatory program for online behavioral advertising (OBA), was busy last week, releasing four formal review decisions.

The cases discussed below highlight DAA’s commitment to spreading consumer awareness about OBA, educating consumers on OBA activities, and providing consumers with options regarding the collection of their data. The cases were initiated by DAA itself, and not by competitors or consumers. OBA activity is a relatively unregulated area, and consumer protection authorities have largely relied on businesses self-regulating to protect consumers. To avoid heavier regulation, it is important that businesses make concerted efforts to be aware of and comply with DAA’s Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising (OBA Principles).
Continue Reading DAA Continues Focus on Obligations for Website Operators Employing OBA

The future of the Do-Not-Track working group remains unclear, according to a recent survey taken among its participants. Forty-three of the 100 or so working-group participants submitted responses to the survey, which proposed five paths for the group moving forward.

According to the survey, 17 participants voted that they have “no confidence” in the group and that all work should be discontinued. Some of the comments described the proceeding as “so flawed [that] it’s a farce.” Others called the progress made to date, “shameful.” Other participants remained somewhat more hopeful; though, ideas on how to achieve a more meaningful Do-Not-Track standard varied. Twenty-six participants voted against continuing to stay on the current path and resolving the remaining open issues as outlined in the proposal. The remaining proposals, which garnered the most votes, recommended splitting up the working group’s focus on establishing a technical means for sending a Do-Not-Track signal and establishing compliance standards for when a company receives a signal.
Continue Reading Do-Not-Track Working Group: Survey Shows Dwindling Support