Tru Optik Debuts One Click Opt-out for OTT Viewers

US-based TV audience measurement firm Tru Optik is to offer consumers a one-click household level opt-out from all audience-based targeting across the entire OTT (Over-the-Top) TV ecosystem, including CTV (Connected TV).

Tru Optik has partnered with companies including Experian Marketing Services and Kantar Millward Brown to gather and analyse data on viewers of OTT services, and offers a suite of solutions called the OTT Marketing Cloud to help advertisers and publishers target and address audiences. However, it's keen to stress that it will only do so after offering consumers clear choice.

OptOut.TV aims to give consumers of OTT a higher level of privacy control and an enhanced experience of the format. Tru Optik says that until now the privacy controls on OTT devices have 'little or no impact on how OTT publishers and advertisers leverage households' data for advertising purposes'. According to CEO Andre Swanston (pictured): 'OTT and CTV are the future of television. However if the right privacy controls aren't addressed now, at the outset, the industry could be at risk. OptOut.TV enables viewers to easily opt out of audience-based targeting and provides a simple way for media companies and advertisers to ensure they are putting consumer privacy at the forefront'.

The firm says 'dozens' of high-profile 'data companies, publishers and ad tech platforms' have pledged to be compliant with OptOut.TV in 2018. Aleck Schleider, SVP of Client and Data Strategy at ad tech Videology, says the launch 'brings CTV into closer alignment with digital media and will help to accelerate the growth of CTV by removing any additional barriers to its use'.

Swanston adds: 'Tru Optik's OTT Data Marketplace powers the majority of the programmatic audience-based advertising across CTV in the United States. So we felt it was our duty to work with our many partners to lead the charge in enabling consumer privacy. As the industry is poised for explosive growth in 2018, it is critical to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved in OTT - from the publishers to the advertisers and most importantly the consumers that are increasingly cutting the cord in favor of OTT/CTV'.

Web site: www.truoptik.com .