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The Federal Trade Commission ruled Thursday that online advertisers do not sufficiently meet expectations to self-regulate their activities with regard to respecting internet users’ privacy.
Commissioner Jon Leibowitz rebuked internet advertisers for neglecting to tell users when their information is gathered, along with options to opt out, and a commitment to protect any data collected.
The lashing included mention that his 12-year-old daughter and her friends are oft exposed to ads that say things like “touch me harder,” reports Reuters (via MarketingVOX).
The anecdote did not move everyone. President Randall Rothenberg of the Interactive Advertising Bureau cautioned, “The government must be prudent,” observing too much regulation may stifle an otherwise dynamic medium.
Indulging the mood of the meeting, founder David Morgan of AOL-owned Tacoda listed a set of topics and data sets the company will not touch, even if user information is anonymous.
“The guidance that we’ve gotten is that cancer, HIV, medical conditions, we just stay away from,” he said. Information about children — dubbed the “third rail” of advertising — and sexual preferences are also left unpicked by the company.
“We don’t touch search data,” Morgan added. “You have to filter every bit of it to make sure it’s not personal.”
Last Wednesday, AOL announced it would host a “Do Not Track” service of sorts on its site by year’s end.
The opt-out function will also present consumers with an opportunity to share information about themselves in order to receive more relevant, targeted pitches.
Katz Media Group has added another new client, Lincoln Financial Media, and will sell ad time on the company’s 15 stations beginning immediately.
Katz also added CBS Radio and Entercom last week, picking them off from Interep’s list.
Katz has also…
Last week, Aegis Group CEO Robert Lerwill resigned unexpectedly, sparking speculation that a takeover may be on the horizon.
Lerwill stepped down officially today (Monday), with Aegis chairman John Napier taking over his duties on an interim basis, writes MediaPost. People…
Out-of-home companies are bracing for the recession like everyone else, but they may not feel the sting as badly as other media.
Though the third quarter brought negative growth to the nation’s three largest OOH companies - Clear Channel Outdoor,…
The 82nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade pulled an average 12.6 rating/26 share on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 27, according to Nielsen.
That was 8% higher than its telecast last year, Mediaweek writes. NBC estimated that a total 44.7 million viewers…
Time magazine ousted Cosmo as the top magazine for college students in this year’s Anderson Analytics fall survey.
Time also jumped past People, which was last year’s No. 2, writes Ad Age. A Time spokesperson said the magazine did not run…
Email, news gathering and paying bills continue to be the most widely used online activities among U.S. adults, but downloading TV programs, watching videos and making web phone calls posted the biggest overall growth, according to data from Mediamark Research…
