ITIF Applauds Efforts of BBB in Self-Regulation of Online Services

WASHINGTON - Today the Better Business Bureau announced the results of an inquiry into online interest-based advertising practices. Notably, in all of the cases investigated by the BBB the companies voluntarily modified their practices to bring them in line with industry best practices.

In response, ITIF Senior Analyst Daniel Castro released the following statement:

“We applaud the efforts made so far by the Better Business Bureau, the Digital Advertising Alliance, the Direct Marketing Association, and others who have led the recent advances in the self-regulatory practices for online advertising. As ITIF made clear in a recent report, self-regulation is an important and cost-effective tool for governing industry practices, protecting consumers and fostering innovation. For example, this review provided an opportunity for industry to clarify some aspects of the Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising, such as to specify that consumer opt-outs must remain valid for at least 5 years.”

“We encourage policymakers to continue to look to the private sector to lead in the development of best practices for online privacy. Working together, the government and the private sector can continue to build on the successes of this self-regulatory program.”