AdoTube and TidalTV Both Take Measures for Viewer Privacy
Consumer privacy online has become a hot issue, and the online video advertising industry is taking steps to police itself, lest government regulations be forced upon it. That was driven home as AdoTube and TidalTV simultaneously announced plans to give viewers control over how their information is tracked and used.
AdoTube is using Evidon's Assurance Platform, called Evidon InForm, to back up its in-player Advertising Choices icon. The option will give consumers control over personal data collection. Evidon is an approved partner of the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), which was formed to advance self-regulation in online behavioral advertising.
"Last year, AdoTube announced the Polite Pre-Roll, giving consumers choice and control over their ad experience. Now, we're giving consumers full choice and control over their data," says Steve Jones, chief strategy and operations officer of AdoTube. "We chose Evidon due to their commitment to ensuring full compliance for advertisers, publishers, and consumers."
TidalTV is going more the do-it-yourself route. It announced that it will add the DAA's Advertising Option icon into its video ads starting this month. The icon is a blue triangle with a letter i at the center. Viewers can click the icon to learn about that company's data collection and use practices. They can also opt-out of targeted advertising, if they prefer.
"We have always been an advocate, as well as a leading voice, for the adoption of industry-wide guidelines surrounding consumer privacy issues in online advertising," says Tom McMahon, president of TidalTV. "As the use of the universal ad choices icon becomes more commonly used, we want to ensure that consumers are afforded the same level of transparency and control in video that they have across all online advertising."
If the video advertising industry can show a commitment to providing opt-out controls to consumers, it may avoid sweeping legal changes that could ban data collection and targeted advertising altogether.
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