TRUSTe Pilot Aims for Ad Targeting Clarity

US consumer privacy organization TRUSTe has developed a service to help web site publishers provide consumers with a clear understanding of their site policies and advertising practice, while enabling them to opt out of targeted ad campaigns.

TRUSTe's new 'Behavioral Advertising Notice and Choice Program' service follows the Federal Trade Commission's privacy self-regulatory guidelines for behavioral advertising.

TRUSTe has created the service in collaboration with its Behavioral Advertising Advisory Committee, whose members include Microsoft, Monster, Comcast, AT&T and the Future of Privacy Forum. AT&T and Comcast are currently testing the program on their own web sites, generating engagement data which TRUSTe says wil help their understanding of consumer preferences for behavioral advertising.

During the pilot, AT&T and Comcast will display a TRUSTe icon and a message on web pages where behavioral advertising or retargeting takes place. Clicking on the icon will open a TRUSTe-hosted pop-up widget, which provides consumers with information about ads appearing on the site, opt-out choices, and the ability to leave feedback or file a complaint.

The pilot will also test icon placement, alternative messages and consumer engagement levels.

'Consumers will only trust behavioral advertising if they feel it is being done 'for' them, not 'to' them,' states Jules Polonetsky, Director for the Future of Privacy Forum. 'The TRUSTe programme is an effective way to provide consumers with more transparency so they can better understand and control the use of behavioral advertising during their online experience.'

Web site: www.truste.com .