New York, NY (December 21, 2007) – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today commended the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its release yesterday of a set of proposed principles to guide the development of self-regulation in the evolving area of behavioral advertising.
“We support the FTC’s call for industry self-regulation and we are very pleased that the commission endorsed the IAB’s analysis of the value of the ad-supported Internet,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB. “At the same time we will continue to work with our members to educate the FTC and Congress about the new interactive tools that improve consumers’ lives, enhance consumer control and build the U.S. economy.”
The IAB and its membership look forward to working with the FTC on some of the substantive points from the draft proposal to achieve language that respects the importance of consumer control and that protects consumer privacy through notice, choice and data security, while preserving the free content and services supported by advertising online. An IAB Task Force, composed of leaders from a broad range of interactive companies, has been working on privacy protection issues since late last summer. The IAB expects to announce new privacy principles for the industry early in 2008.
About the IAB:
Founded in 1996, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (www.iab.net) represents over 300 leading interactive companies that actively engage in and support the sale of interactive advertising. IAB members are responsible for selling over 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the continuing 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 evaluates and recommends standards and practices, fields interactive effectiveness research, and educates marketers, agencies, and media companies, as well as the wider business community, about the value of interactive advertising.
IAB Media Contacts:
Marla Nitke
Robert Marston and Associates
Mike Cargill
