Understanding Online Advertising
Make choices with participating companies under the DAA Principles.
All advertising seeks to target the right products to the right audience, and makes possible low- or no-cost content and services. Most online ads aren't matched to you as an individual, but to data categories -- such as demographics, interest groups, location, or online behavior. The Web sites you visit work with online advertising companies to provide you with advertising that is as relevant and useful as possible.
- What is interest-based advertising?
- What are Your Choices?
- Understanding Cookies.
- Browser Controls.
- Report a Complaint
- More Information
What is interest-based advertising?
Interest-based advertising -- which is also sometimes called "online behavioral advertising" -- uses information collected across multiple web sites that you visit in order to predict your preferences and to show you ads that are most likely to be of interest to you.
You can learn a great deal more about interest-based advertising, as well as review a variety of explanatory videos, by visiting the following sites:
What are Your Choices?
This website was jointly developed by a group of leading industry associations to serve as the home of a Consumer Choice Page that allows you to opt out from the collection of Web viewing data for interest-based advertising and other applicable uses under the DAA principles, by some or all of the participating companies. To manage your preferences, please visit the Consumer Choice Page.
DAA offers a separate choice tool for the collection of cross-app data on a mobile device for interest-based advertising and other applicable uses. To exercise choice for companies participating in this choice tool, you can install the DAA’s AppChoices app.
Understanding Cookies.
Cookies are small text files that a website stores in your web browser's cache. They are not programs, and cannot harm your computer. Cookies generally contain information that is associated with your web browser, information such as website preferences, login information, or a user ID.
These websites provide helpful information for you to learn all about cookies and how they are used -- not just for advertising.
- David Whalen's "Unofficial Cookie FAQ Version 2.6" provides a comprehensive overview: http://www.cookiecentral.com/faq/
- The Harvard Berkman Center's Cookie Crumble Contest: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cookiecontest/
- A simple description on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie
Most modern web browsers contain extensive controls that give you the ability, among other things, to block or limit cookies.
Start with these sites to learn more about your browser's privacy controls:
Additionally, Firefox and Chrome have extensive repositories of add-ons that can help enhance your control over your privacy:
If you believe that you have witnessed a practice or ad that may violate the DAA Principles, you can report the incident to either The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) or The Direct Marketing Association (DMA). Complaints may be filed by consumers, business entities or other stakeholders.
For More Information and Resources About the DAA Program
Please visit www.youradchoices.com where you can read more about interest-based advertising, the protections afforded by the YourAdChoices Icon, where you will see it and the control it gives you as a consumer.
