The Internet Advertising Bureau has published its guidelines on controversial targeted adverts which monitor users' behaviour online and provides them with appropriate adverts.
The controversy over trials of Phorm by BT has yet to die down, but the IAB is hoping that a clear code of conduct – which has been signed up to by Phorm, AOL, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo amongst others – will ease public concerns.
The three key rules for what it terms Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA) are:
1. Notice
"Each Member shall provide clear and unambiguous notice to users that it collects data for the purposes of OBA. This notice shall include information about what types of data are collected, how these data are being used and how users can decline OBA," says the IAB guidelines
This will also apply to partners of the members, and members are also urged to give reasonable notice to any material change to its privacy policy.
2. User Choice
IAB guidelines state: "Each Member shall provide an approved means for consumers to decline OBA from that Member." On top of this "Each Member shall provide information on how to decline OBA with respect to that Member and ensure that this information is prominently displayed and easily accessible on its website."
"If a user chooses to decline OBA, the Member will cease to provide OBA." However, "The collection and use of data, however, may continue for other legitimate purposes declared in the Member's privacy policy or for which the data subject has already given his/her consent and non-behaviourally targeted advertisements will continue to be served."
3. User Education
"Each Member shall make information available to educate users about OBA and ensure that this information is easily accessible. This may include information provided to users in easily understandable language and user friendly format about the collection and use of data and how to decline OBA," adds the guideline document.
The policy is certainly a step in the right direction – but despite being one of the key directives it is the lack of education for people that may remain a concern – with people signing up to services whilst still unsure as to what they are agreeing.
The ire at BT for a trial of the service that did not ask permission has yet to fade, but it will be interesting to see if giving people a clear and obvious option to withdraw from targeted advertising means that significant numbers do indeed opt out.
Your comments (2) Click to add a new comment
heavylight
March 4th
2. The IAB should be ashamed!
Each OBA service should be specifically 'opt-in' and the education material MUST be "in easily understandable language and user friendly format", not just at the whim of the operator.
The point that anoys me most is the idea that an operator may continue the "collection and use of data" even after a user has indicated that they want nothing to do with the OBA service.
It's MY browsing data and I'm not giving it away!
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anon654
March 4th
1. If the decision is being made to track us, it should be opt in not opt out. The reason for this is simple: If someone opts out then the method used to record and enforce the opting out could potentially be used to track users. However, it is unlikely that this approach will be taken, because very few users will opt in when they consider their privacy, although this 'service' could be sold as showing users adverts related to things they like. But even then the users would have to know about the existence of such services.
Basically, my point is: our privacy is screwed (it probably always has been) and unless there is a major change in the way the internet works (very unlikely) or heavily enforced legislation (probably equally unlikely) this is not going to change for the better. :(
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