The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), which for years has provided consumers a means of opting out of having their data collected by companies online, today introduced new tools designed for mobile opt-out.
The AppChoices app, available for free on App Store and Google Play, and the DAA Consumer Choice Page for Mobile Web both work in the same manner as the DAA’s desktop application, which allows users to opt out from companies individually or en masse.
The DAA previewed its mobile solutions at its Summit in San Francisco last June and has since been working with scores of member companies to finalize the systems. Two were needed, because while mobile Web tracking relies on cookies, in-app advertising does not.
“We had to develop a different architecture to deal with in-app activity,” said DAA Executive Director Lou Mastria. “Being in the mobile sphere will further leverage the power of the DAA icon. It will give consumers control over data collection and use in the evolving world of mobile Internet and apps.”
The DAA opt-out program is the marketing industry’s primary weapon in self-regulating the collection and dissemination of personally identifiable information—and keeping Congressional privacy watchdogs at bay. Ad industry representatives see today’s announcement as strengthening its position.
“We are very proud of this major step forward, a step that improves the quality and trustworthiness of our self-regulatory system,” said Bob Liodice, president and CEO of the Association of National Advertisers.
