Machine-Driven ‘Do-Not-Track’ Systems Limit Users’ Freedom of Choice
Publishers Will Not Be Penalized by Council of Better Business Bureaus for Ignoring Web Browsers’ Ineffective & Confusing ‘Do-Not-Track’ Mechanisms
NEW YORK – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is issuing its full support for the Digital Advertising Alliance’s (DAA) position against machine-driven “do-not-track” (DNT) browser standards, because they restrict consumer control and freedom of choice. The announcement comes on the heels of a just-released DAA statement opposing the DNT settings automatically imposed on consumers by the Microsoft Internet Explorer version 10 (IE10) browser.
The DAA’s statement addresses publishers’ concerns about what will happen if they do not honor IE10-imposed DNT flags. DAA, the digital advertising industry’s self-regulatory body, does not require companies to honor DNT signals fixed by browser manufacturers and set by them in browsers. Specifically, it is not a DAA principle or in any way a requirement under the DAA standards to honor a DNT signal that is automatically set in IE10 or any other browser. The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) will not sanction or penalize companies that ignore the default settings on IE10 or other browsers and intermediaries. In contrast, the DAA and CBBB will continue to impose disciplinary measures on companies that violate legitimate consumer choices under the “AdChoices” self-regulation program.
In a report issued last week, researchers from the Harvard Business School determined that the ad-supported internet ecosystem was responsible for 5.1 million jobs and contributed $530 billion to the U.S. economy in 2011 alone.
About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.
