Interactive Advertising Bureau and Center for Democracy and Technology Launch Competing Privacy Awareness Campaigns

As we reported last week here at the ReputationDefender Blog, the race is on for internet companies to convince Congress and the American people that behavioral advertising and data mining is not a threat to personal privacy. After facing stiff demands from the government to shape up or face external regulation, a coalition of internet companies calling themselves the Interactive Advertising Bureau formed a campaign to educate consumers about behavioral advertising. That campaign was made formal yesterday with the launch of numerous rich media banner ads inviting users to visit this website.

Using a bit of reverse psychology, the banner ads feature copy that says “Advertising is creepy” or “Hey, this banner can tell where you live. Mind if we come over and sell you stuff?” When a user clicks on the ad, however, they are taken to the Privacy Matters website, where they can learn how, according to the IAB, behavioral advertising cannot be used to single out individual web surfers. There are those who reject the IAB’s approach, however, saying it downplays the possibility of using aggregate data to successfully seek out individuals.

Interestingly, on the same day as the IAB launched their campaign, the Center for Democracy and Technology, a public advocacy group based in Washington D.C. launched their own campaign. Calling on users to “Take Back Your Privacy,” the CDT campaign endeavors to help us “put control over our personal data back where it belongs: in our own hands.” The CDT website also features a blog, where information on privacy issues is discussed daily, as well as a link to the organization’s Twitter feed along with myriad other social networking sites.

On the basis of these two competing campaigns, it is clear that there is an all out war over the hearts and minds of consumers regarding data mining and behavioral advertising. Considering that studies show consumers oppose behavioral advertising, it seems like the internet companies may be in the weaker position, but, like any good fight, anything can happen. In any case, as these issues continue to play out on the national stage, the ReputationDefender Blog will be here to help you sort them out.

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