ICC Resource Guide for Self-Regulation of Online Behavioral Advertising

The following checklist was developed to assist industry and policymakers in other countries identify key steps for setting up a self-regulatory process to apply the ICC OBA framework in a consistent way across markets.

In the years preceding the development of the ICC OBA framework, a coalition of US-based industry stakeholders involved in online behavioural advertising, including the major advertising-related associations, joined together for the purpose of developing consensus on standards for the advertising ecosystem regarding OBA. The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) was formed as an umbrella organisation to implement a set of self-regulatory best practices (by which the ICC OBA framework was later inspired). The DAA also manages operational details such as the licensing of an icon by which consumers would be notified of the collection of data for OBA and the delivery of OBA advertising to them. Two organisations, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) were tasked by the DAA to provide accountability to ensure that companies would comply with the principles.

In Europe, a steering group was formed across the advertising industry associations and self-regulatory bodies. It has agreed to a similar set of standards and a process of implementation and enforcement of the European self-regulatory programme across the different EU member states. It also agreed the setting up of the European Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) to administer the licensing of the icon (as in the US) and the approval of the self-certification and auditing providers. A self-regulatory programme has also been established in Canada through the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada.

Highlights

• Explanation of global framework available for OBA self-regulation
• Checklist from existing OBA self-regulatory mechanisms on how to implement the global principles
• Links to further resources