US Advertisers Call Internet Giants to Account

The US' Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has called on seven digital giants to follow the example of Google and Facebook and replace their 'walled garden' approach to measurement with independent audits by the MRC.

The ANA named Amazon, Foursquare, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat and Twitter, who it says should 'embrace transparency and break down their walled gardens by allowing independent audits by the MRC'.

The move follows a survey in which around 90 percent of ANA members approved of the idea. 'Walled gardens' on the Internet are closed systems where the user experience is controlled by the host - as is access to those users by advertisers.

The two largest of these, Google/YouTube and Facebook, are already in the process of talks with the MRC, following recent problems with measurement and calls from global ad giants like P&G and WPP for more accountability and transparency.

The ANA said the mood among the 113 members who responded to its survey favored 'more transparency from vendors on data and performance', 'metrics validated by a third party and not merely self-reported', and comparisons of performance within the wall and outside it.

The Association is online at www.ana.net .