Facebook’s Lack of ‘AdChoices’ Icons Makes Industry’s Self-Regulation Easy to Criticize
Facebook has been the noticeably absent giant from the online advertising’s effort to regulate itself as an industry. More specifically, the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), an association of ad trade groups, is placing Ad Options icons on its members’ ads to inform consumers about the kind of data advertisers and ad-related firms are collecting to customize and target ad messages. Facebook, though the clear-cut No. 1 publisher of behaviorally targeted display ads in the U.S., is not involved with the DAA. Facebook issued a statement saying it supports transparency and control in the online ecosystem, and that it is having discussions with the DAA and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The DAA’s “AdChoices” icon allows users to opt out in two or three steps; Facebook’s approach requires at least four actions. “The DAA’s icon program isn’t perfect, but it has the broadest industry consensus and gives a consistent signal to web users.” (AdAge.com)
