The think tank Future of Privacy Forum announced this week that it tapped ad agency WPP to come up with new ways of notifying Web users about online behavioral advertising.
Director Jules Polonetsky hopes that advertising creatives will be able to come up with something more intelligible than the lengthy jargon-filled policies that are all too often incomprehensible. Federal Trade Commissioner Jon Leibowitz, who has urged Web companies to provide clear and succinct notice about ad targeting, is cheering the project. “I’m very heartened with what the Future of Privacy Forum has announced,” he tells MediaPost. “Most current online privacy policies are essentially incomprehensible for even the savviest online users.”……read more.
What Happens When You Delete Your Photos?
They do get deleted, but not right away (except for Windows Live Spaces – kudos to them). Check out the research from University of Cambridge.
FPF Announces Consumer Notices Research Initiative
FPF is proud to announce the launch of an initiative geared toward finding new ways of helping companies communicate with consumers regarding online advertising and privacy practices. Six to ten years ago, an executive would have responded with incredulity to the notion that his company needed to do something more to educate consumers about advertising practices outside of the standard privacy policy. Today, however, we have reached a turning point. It may be due to the Web 2.0 mentality, the recognition of the expansion of data use, concerns of new legislation or the steps forward by a few business leaders, but the tide has turned. Companies are now beginning to look seriously at new ways of communicating with their users about behavioral advertising in a more effective and innovative manner. FPF’s new research project looks to build upon these efforts by specific companies and by industry groups to help find meaningful ways to engage users. Check out the press release for details.
Privacy Forum Unveils Research Project
Privacy Forum Unveils Research Project
Tech Daily Dose
May 19, 2009
The Future of Privacy Forum is embarking on a research project that will examine different methods for communicating with Internet users about advertising and privacy practices, the think tank announced Tuesday. The study will explore potential tools and notices that companies could use to raise consumer awareness regarding the use of online behavioral advertising data and will offer more transparency about how information is used in relevant advertising practices. The initiative follows a recent FTC report that called on the private sector to examine the issue. FPF launched in 2008 to advance a national privacy agenda that promotes transparency and user control that is practical for businesses and ensures personal autonomy for online users.
Jules Polonetsky quoted:
“Privacy policies will continue to play an important role in legally binding companies to commitments and providing essential details regarding their data practices,” FPF Co-Chair Jules Polonetsky said. “Widespread agreement now exists, however, that more candid, prominent, and engaging methods are needed to ensure that trustworthy and meaningful communications are provided to users.”
Future of Privacy Forum Announces Research Initiative To Develop Effective Messages to Communicate with Users about Online Data Use
WASHINGTON, May 19, 2009 – Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) announced a major research initiative that will examine different methods for communicating with users about online advertising and privacy practices. The study will explore potential tools and notices that companies could use to raise consumer awareness regarding the use of online behavioral advertising data. The research will also provide more transparency about how information is used in relevant advertising practices.
Jules Polonetsky, co-chair and director of the organization, said today “FPF is dedicated
to promoting transparency in data practices that will enhance consumer trust and enable both privacy and personalization. By engaging consumer communication experts we will seek to design and test different communication tools that help users effectively understand the key advertising practices in use today. “
The initiative follows a recent report issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which called on the industry to conduct research about the effects of possible disclosures on consumer understanding in the field of online behavioral advertising.
In support of the research project, FTC Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour said today, “Most consumers do not fully understand the types and amount of information collected by businesses, or why the information may be commercially valuable. To the extent that the industry currently attempts to provide notice and choice to consumers, such efforts are insufficient. It is my hope that this research will help educate the industry and government about more effective ways to communicate with users and remove any confusion consumers may have about data use.”
Christopher Wolf, the other co-chair of FPF noted, “As progress is being made by government and trade groups to develop new rules and guidelines surrounding online behavioral advertising disclosures, our goal here is to help inform these groups and provide additional guidance about the most effective ways to communicate with users.”
Over the next several weeks, FPF will be working with creative experts and research specialists at WPP and others, to develop a variety of notices that will resonate with consumers and begin to test them with users. Professor Mary Culnan from Bentley University will assist in these efforts. The research will also incorporate input from the general public about effective ways to inform consumers of behavioral advertising practices. The new research initiative is supported by a wide variety of industry players, including some of the organizations that already provide support to FPF. In addition to Culnan and WPP, members of the working group include AOL, AT&T, eBay, Facebook, Intel, The Nielsen Company, TRUSTe, Verizon, and Yahoo.
Polonetsky stressed, “Privacy policies will continue to play an important role in legally binding companies to commitments and providing essential details regarding their data practices. Widespread agreement now exists, however, that more candid, prominent, and engaging methods are needed to ensure that trustworthy and meaningful communications are provided to users.”
FPF hopes to release materials from the initial phase of the research by the end of the summer.
What Others Are Saying About The FPF Research Initiative
“AOL has done research that showed consumers value diversity in how we communicate to them about privacy, and FPF’s new research will explore innovative ways of engaging and educating consumers.”
Doug Miller, Executive Director of Consumer Advocacy & Privacy, AOL
“When it comes to online data practices, transparency by all actors in the online ecosystem is needed to ensure that consumers are in control of their online experience. We at AT&T are happy to see Polonetsky and Wolf at the Future of Privacy Forum embark on a research project that will hopefully provide more insight into how to effectively communicate consumer options and control online.”
Dorothy Attwood, Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Chief Privacy Officer, AT&T
“TRUSTe has long guided our thousands of sealholders to make privacy notices more accessible – from advocating for layered notices to the ‘just-in-time’ choices for downloadable software. TRUSTe is pleased to provide practical input to FPF on this new research initiative that we expect will contribute to our ongoing efforts to provide more trustworthy notices to consumers.”
Fran Maier, Chief Executive Officer, TRUSTe
“Yahoo! believes that offering customized experiences on our sites and our ad network provides real benefits to users. Research into how best to communicate with consumers about these uses of data and their options is essential to engendering trust and ensuring a compelling online experience.”
Anne Toth, Vice President of Policy and Head of Privacy, Yahoo!
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) is a Washington, DC-based think tank that promotes transparency in data practices that are both practical for businesses and ensure personal autonomy for consumers. The forum is led by Internet privacy experts Jules Polonetsky and Christopher Wolf and includes a robust advisory board comprised of leading figures from industry, academia, law and advocacy groups. FPF was launched in November 2008, and is supported by AOL, AT&T, eBay, Facebook, Intel, The Nielsen Company, TRUSTe, Verizon and Yahoo. FPF invites and welcomes the support of other companies committed to advancing privacy practices.
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Kara Visits the Tech Policy Summit: Privacy | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD
Tech Policy Summit in California just wrapped up, reminding me of an interview I did there with Kara Swisher last year while I was still at AOL.
Researchers have now clearly proved academically and scientifically that behavioral ads work. Now if businesses will just tell users it is going on, and show how to turn it off, they will be pleasantly suprised to discover that users appreciate candor and will allow businesses to profit from personalization that is done is a trustworthy manner.
CDT Hosts Discussion on Analytics Tools Use on Government Web Sites
I need to be in NYC Tuesday, so will be disappointed to miss what looks to be a well done report and good discussion about cookie on government Web sites, govt use of social media and so on. We at FPF shared some preliminary ideas on these issues with CDT, EFF and Sunlight and provided input requested by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in early April.
CDT has addressed these issues and far more. I will be looking forward to following the event via the live Twitter feed.
Future of Privacy Forum Letter to the White Office of Science and Technology Policy
Following is the test of the letter we sent to the White House in response to the call for feedback on the President’s memo on Openness and Transparency
April 3, 2009
Dear Ms. Noveck:
The Future of Privacy Forum is providing the below suggestions to offer a roadmap for enabling use of analysis, site optimization and tracking technologies by government agencies. Personalizing site content for users, enabling log term shopping carts and improving site usage are key to providing the public the best possible web experience and these functions are reliant on cookies and other technologies currently limited by various approval requirements. As a result, agencies may end up either forgoing the use, or they seek approval but may not seek to establish additional necessary controls to ensure these technologies are used in the most privacy friendly manner.
We provide below practical guidelines that could enable the use of cookies to better serve the public as desired by many government web managers. Some of these concepts are already in place at some of the most progressive private sector companies, and government leadership in this area would spur wider adoption of these practices that both optimize the user experience and ensure privacy and transparency in data use.
We propose that the current restrictions on cookies and similar technologies be abolished. In their place should be requirements that establish leading practices for such technology practices.
Ensuring that Interactive Tools used by Government Provide Users with Enhanced Transparency and Controls for Data Collection and Retention
Analytics, Research or Others Using Cookies, Tracking Pixels or Other Tools
1. Delete log-files after a defined period of time.
a. Data retention periods for “non-personal” log-files vary widely across vendors, are not publicly disclosed and are rarely committed to contractually.
2. Cookies should have limited expiration periods and should not be used to store information unprotected.
3. IP addresses logged by vendors should be obscured or deleted as soon as possible.
a. Some vendors can use and then immediately scramble IP addresses as they log them.
4. The use of the tools and user options should be transparent and prominently explained.
5. Consider implications of use of “first party” White House domain for analytics, rather than “third party” domain, to avoid potential for unwanted correlation.
6. Contractual representations barring use of data for purposes other than services contracted, other than aggregate reporting.
We will be pleased to provide further detail about the above upon request.
Sincerely
Jules Polonetsky
Future Of Privacy Forum
fpf.org
Privacy notices work best in tables, says US gov research • The Register
Important privacy notices study conducted by leading researchers Dr Manoj Hastak of American University and Dr Alan Levy of the FDA on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve
Board, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the Securities and Exchange
