News

Industry bodies to set rules for online behavioural targeting

Key advertising industry bodies are to come together to create industry guideliens on the fast growing practice of online behavioural targeting.

The group includes the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA), The Communications Council, Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), Internet Industry Association (IIA) and Media Federation of Australia (MFA).

The practice of online behavioural advertising generally involves the use of cookies to recognise the habits of online readers in order to serve them targeted advertising. A secondary market is also growing allowing potential advertisers to bid on those cookies. 

While supporters of the practice believe it can be in consumers’ interests to serve them more relevant ads, others claim that the behaviour can lead to an invasion of privacy.

In a guest post on Mumbrella today, Mike Zeederberg of digital agency Zuni argues that the industry needs to do more to publicly argue the case in favour of behavioural targeting.

According to the announcement of the cross industry group: “Working to develop a scheme that will apply consumer-friendly standards to OBA, the Cross Industry Group’s initiative is underway and proceeding quickly, examining a range of issues which will impact upon the final guidelines.”

AANA boss Scott McClellan, spokesman for the group,  said: “The combined efforts of these industry associations clearly show our commitment to developing a workable set of guidelines which will address the issues around OBA. We plan to share these guidelines with the Senate Environment and Communications Committee, and the industry as a whole as soon as practicable.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.