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 Privacy Law

Q&A: Erica DePalma, VP of digital marketing at Media Horizons

January 24, 2012

Erica DePalma, VP of digital marketing at Media Horizons, a marketing services company, discusses her new role and the potential impact of SOPA and PIPA legislation.
 

Facebook settles with FTC over privacy violations

November 29, 2011

Facebook agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Nov. 29 over charges that it violated the Federal Trade Commission Act by making public to advertisers consumers' private information.
 

Privacy organizations file FTC complaint against PepsiCo

October 19, 2011

Four consumer and privacy organizations filed a joint complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Oct. 19 alleging that PepsiCo and subsidiary Frito-Lay North America engaged in deceptive and unfair digital marketing practices.
 

Q&A: Jason Mittelstaedt, CMO of RightNow

July 20, 2011

Jason Mittelstaedt, CMO of RightNow, a customer experience management (CEM) technology company, explains the distinction between CRM and CEM and why social media may never be a platform for direct marketing.
 

Q&A: Arthur Sweetser, CMO of 89 Degrees

May 11, 2011

Arthur Sweetser, the CMO of 89 Degrees, an integrated marketing agency with a focus on data and analytics, discusses the definition of cloud marketing and why he thinks data collection is more important than good creative.
 

Another federal privacy bill introduced

April 13, 2011

It's been a banner week for privacy legislation. On the heels of Tuesday's introduction of a US Senate privacy 'bill of rights,' US Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) unveiled prospective privacy legislation on Wednesday that would also require brands to tell customers what data they're tracking.
 

McCain, Kerry to introduce privacy 'bill of rights'

April 11, 2011

In the latest salvo of the hot-button information privacy issue, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) said April 11 they will introduce a "bill of rights" intended to protect US citizens' personal information both off- and online.
 

Google settles FTC privacy charge

March 30, 2011

Google settled Federal Trade Commission charges on March 30 that it violated consumers' privacy, as well as its own policies, when it launched social network Google Buzz in February 2010. The FTC had charged Google with violating the Federal Trade Commission Act by using Gmail customers' information for Google Buzz without their consent, according to the FTC.
 

Obama administration backs 'online bill of rights'

March 16, 2011

The Obama administration urged Congress to create federal legislation that would allow consumers new online privacy rights and give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforcement authority, federal officials told a Senate committee on March 16. Lawrence Strickling, an assistant secretary within the Commerce Department, said the White House "recommends that legislation set forth baseline consumer data privacy protections - that is a consumer 'privacy bill of rights.'"
 

Ad industry leaders uncertain how to move forward on Do Not Track

March 16, 2011

Mozilla's chief executive painted a picture of dismissive and clueless ad industry CEOs, uncertain about how to move forward on consumer privacy issues, in a series of media interviews published this week.
 

On the watch for Do Not Track bills

February 09, 2011

We're keeping an eye on the US House of Representatives this week to see if this Congress' first Do Not Track bill is introduced. The Hill reported last week that US Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) was about to introduce prospective legislation that would regulate the collection of consumer data on the Web.
 

DMA begins enforcement of industry self-regulation initiative

January 31, 2011

The Direct Marketing Association said January 31 that it will begin to enforce its online data collection self-regulatory program immediately. The announcement comes as various private companies are launching online consumer privacy initiatives.
 

Mozilla, Google launch anti-tracking browser tools

Vicki Powers January 25, 2011

Mozilla and Google said January 24 that they will provide options in their respective Firefox and Chrome Web browsers to block the tracking of consumers' online behavior. Mozilla will let consumers opt out of tracking and behavioral advertising in Firefox 4, while Google will add an extension to Chrome.
 

Online ad self-regulation group endorses 'Trusted Ads' platform

Alex Palmer January 20, 2011

Online advertising self-regulation group the Digital Advertising Alliance endorsed TRUSTe's "Trusted Ads" platform on January 20, prior to the service's rollout. It is the group's third approval of an online ad platform. Online security firm TRUSTe, which launched a pilot program last year, said it will roll out the ad platform after the DAA endorsement.
 

FCC votes in favor of 'net neutrality' policy

December 21, 2010

The Federal Communications Commission voted in favor of "net neutrality" on December 21. The policy seeks to ensure that consumers and innovators do not have to seek permission from Internet service providers before launching new technologies, starting businesses, connecting with friends, or sharing views online.
 

IAB creates office of general counsel, promotes three

December 10, 2010

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), an organization that counts more than 450 US media and technology companies as members, has created an office of general counsel and promoted three executives.
 

Privacy groups want online medical marketing regulated

November 24, 2010

A coalition of privacy advocate groups are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to examine and regulate online advertising of medical goods and treatments.
 

Next Congress will take on privacy issues: Barton

November 03, 2010

What does Tuesday's midterm election mean for direct marketing professionals? In the least, it means one prominent legislator and privacy advocate will no longer be in Congress.
 

Consumers walk away from RapLeaf after media reports

October 26, 2010

Internet tracking firm RapLeaf is facing a backlash from consumers this week after 'The Wall Street Journal' investigated the company's role in compiling and selling customer data to marketers.
 

Lawmakers want answers on Facebook privacy

October 19, 2010

The critically acclaimed film 'The Social Network' probably isn't the only thing bothering Facebook executives this week.
 

Ad industry launches behavioral tracking self-regulation initiative

Ira Teinowitz October 04, 2010

The advertising and direct marketing communities and the Council of Better Business Bureaus formally unveiled their long-awaited behavioral self-regulation initiative on October 4, describing it as a "large and major effort" to offer consumers more transparency about marketers' behavioral tracking.
 

NetChoice slams consumer data privacy measures

Alex Palmer September 13, 2010

NetChoice has called out website privacy and taxation proposals before Congress, saying they would damage online advertising and publishing. A federal privacy proposal from Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) and a discussion draft from Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) shared the top spot on the list.
 

FTC considers online 'do-not-track' option for consumers

July 28, 2010

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz told members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that his agency is considering various ways to improve consumer privacy protection and transparency about companies' use of online customer data.
 

Congressmen float wide-reaching consumer data bill

May 04, 2010

US Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) released on May 4 a discussion draft of legislation that would codify numerous industries' use of consumer data on the web.
 

Industry groups demand no FTC power expansion in financial reform bill

April 22, 2010

Forty-one US trade organizations and business groups, including the Direct Marketing Association, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the National Retail Federation, sent a letter to Senate leaders on April 22, urging them not to expand the Federal Trade Commission's powers as part of financial reform.
 

FTC puts regulation protecting kids online under review

March 25, 2010

Nearly a decade after it went into effect, the Federal Trade Commission is asking consumers and industry stakeholders whether its Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA) should be updated for the mobile age.
 

IAB campaign educates consumers about online privacy

December 04, 2009

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is conducting its first consumer-focused campaign in an effort to educate consumers about the ins and outs of online privacy. The initiative, launched December 3 and called "Privacy Matters," will run throughout 2010 to teach consumers how to use privacy tools on the Web. It features display ads and an educational Web site designed by WPP's Schematic, a digital agency.
 

Behavioral targeting: The dos and don'ts

Jennifer Barrett, chief privacy officer, Acxiom August 06, 2009

Every marketer's dream is to know as much as possible about a consumer to improve brand image and generate sales. But when do consumers think we have "gone too far" in tracking their behavior? A growing number believe their every click of a mouse, swipe of a card or call on their cell phone is being recorded and sold to the highest bidder. And ... in some instances, they aren't too far off the mark.
 

Online shopping security has a new gold standard

Alex Kehayias, product manager, Comodo July 06, 2009

People know to look for the gold padlock when transacting online. E-commerce stores know they need an SSL certificate to get the gold padlock. It's something consumers have been told numerous times whether it was from a pre-holiday news special about protecting yourself online or from the family member that thinks they know everything about technology.
 

Industry groups introduce behavioral targeting best practices

July 01, 2009

A group of marketing associations introduced seven best practices principles for behavioral targeting on July 2. The principles - a significant step in the behavorial targeting and privacy debate - are designed to make behavioral targeting more transparent to consumers and to educate consumers on the practices of online advertising and how behavioral data is used.