Enhance the Exercise Machine of Self-Regulation

January 22nd, 2007

In a New Year’s resolution speech to the Association of National Advertisers, FTC Chairman, Deborah Platt Majoras offered advice and warned advertisers about complicity with intrusive adware, encouraging the exercise of self-regulation.

“The message for you is that advertisers need to be vigilant to ensure that their advertising dollars do not fund – either deliberately or inadvertently – illegal activity. You need to understand just how your Internet advertising reaches consumers. If you choose to advertise via adware, it is important that you select adware providers who ensure that consumers receive adequate notice of and knowingly consent to the installation of the adware, have a meaningful way of monitoring their distribution channels, allow consumers to uninstall their adware easily, and otherwise respect consumers’ rights. This is an area where policing by the advertising industry is critical to creating a culture of security and respect for consumer privacy. If you do not do so, you risk undermining consumer confidence in the Internet as a vehicle for commercial information and transactions.”

TRUSTe is leading the internet industry with the Trusted Download program, to give control to users of downloadable software of all types including, yes, adware. More information on Trusted Download which provides clear standards, certifies safe software behavior and monitors distribution networks; can be found here: www.trusteddownload.org

Entry Filed under: All, Trusted Download