DAA Blog

Big Idea: One of DAA’s founders – American Advertising Federation (AAF) – recently announced it has joined a new privacy initiative launched in October by two other DAA founders – Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and 4A’s.  The Responsible Privacy in Advertising Initiative (RPIA) is designed to evolve and enhance industry data privacy principles for responsible online advertising practices and to reinvigorate congressional efforts to enact preemptive, federal privacy legislation. At DAA, we are excited where this may lead.

More than a dozen states have now enacted new laws related to privacy, creating a confusing and contradictory patchwork of regulations that undercut data-driven advertising and the ad-supported ecosystem of apps, services, and products it funds for consumers.

To rationalize that jumble of state policies, DAA and other major advertising trade organizations in the Privacy for America (P4A) alliance have urged Congress to...

Legal mandates are no substitute for the trust-building marketers know how to do with consumers. By leveraging AdChoices, brands and publishers can complement those mandates with proven consumer privacy engagement through the AdChoices program. Relying solely on legal regimes may leave your customer wanting more to achieve greater consumer trust. As we approach 2024, the power of the “AdChoices” icon – and DAA Principles adherence – enables a richer story, setting a path toward trustworthy brand engagement.

The challenge that marketers face has never been greater, as rising consumer expectations, emerging technologies, and a fast-changing regulatory landscape have made it difficult for brands and publishers to set correctly and explain clearly their practices to customers and partners. The DAA’s AdChoices program is designed to make the privacy process simple by providing brands and publishers with clear standards, intuitive and universally recognized tools, respected independent enforcement, and forward-looking technological integrations to meet their needs. Not to mention the ubiquity of the AdChoices icon which consumers see all around the Web and apps.

To make sure your company, and...

We were excited to have a perspective from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) at our Summit in Chicago. The Congresswoman’s address was introduced by Stu Ingis, chairman, Venable LLP, and general counsel to DAA.

DAA Summit 23 delegates heard remarks of Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) regarding a balance of protections for both consumers and the ad industry.

As the Ranking Member and Chairwoman of the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee responsible for data privacy, Congresswoman Schakowsky highlighted the successful bipartisan passage in the House Commerce Committee last year of The American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), and stressed the importance of a unified national approach to safeguarding consumer data.

DAA agrees on the need for one set of legal rules for data governance for advertising in the United States, not 50 plus one, though ADPPA had fatal flaws that we believe must be addressed.

One area for improving a national privacy law would be to create a path for the DAA Principles for transparency and consumer control to co-exist with such a legal regime – precisely because consumer trust and engagement depend on far more than just legal adherence. And responsible advertisers have a longstanding pedigree in getting this balance right, as well as a future need to continue to get this right...

Election 2024 may still be a year-and-a-half away – but campaigns are already starting. DSPs need to take immediate note.

Political ad transparency is in the spotlight now, thanks in part to a Federal Election Commission Final Rule for Internet Communications that enables digital political advertising to carry an “adapted disclaimer” to convey required “Paid for by” disclosures in campaign advertising for federal elections. The Final Rule took effect March 1, 2023.

This is a game changer for DAA and its Application of the Self-Regulatory Principles of Transparency & Accountability to Political Advertising, first enacted in 2018 with enforcement effect in 2020. The FEC has specifically noted that an icon-based approach can be a suitable means to deliver disclosures where time and space are limited. Thus, digital political advertising is recognized as distinct from its print and broadcast counterparts.

Image 1. New FEC rules enable an icon-based indicator and “adapted disclaimer” much as...

The DAA’s community’s strength has come from its foresight and its proactive actions to codify and live by responsible industry practices. Those practices and that commitment has allowed us to help shape policy debates, media and consumer attitudes.

In large part, this is because our community interacts with consumers every day and we know to what our customers respond favorably. Working through DAA, responsible companies have manifested this practical experience through groundbreaking privacy-enhancing tools and techniques. As the market changes, as regulators continue to increase their pressure on the industry, and as consumer engagement with media evolves, it is critical that we, as a community, continue to keep pace with the consumer expectations and new technologies.

This is our best opportunity to manage uncertainties, all the while providing consumers and our brands meaningful protections. This helps keep the ad marketplace safe for brand-consumer engagement, and paves the way for trust.

As we enter May, amid another busy legislative...