The Federal Communications Commission passed new regulations regarding Internet privacy today, preventing Internet providers from abusing customer information such as browsing history, mobile location and app usage. Giants such as Verizon and Comcast (which just happen to b e your very favorite clients!) will now need to acquire customers’ explicit consent before using such data or sharing it with third parties. Certain information, such as customers’ IP addresses, are not subject to the new requirements.
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) issued a response to the decision and, unsurprisingly, they are not happy about it!
“The FCC’s new sweeping privacy rules decision is unprecedented, misguided, counterproductive, and potentially extremely harmful,” the statement begins.
It goes on to clarify that the ANA was initially on board with new privacy regulations “when the FCC stated it would distinguish between sensitive and non-sensitive data, but this proved to be merely misleading lip-service,” adding that the FCC’s “new definition of sensitive data adopted by the Commission today would encompass and swallow a vast amount of routine consumer data on the Internet and mobile media.”
While acknowledging the need to protect consumers’ sensitive data, the ANA claims the FCC’s actions widely overstep such protections and could harm the online economy. It alleges the new regulations “will undermine the financial underpinning that advertising provides in support of the data-driven online economy.”
The ANA goes on to claim that, in practice, the new regulations may prove more of a nuisance than benefit to consumers. “Consumers will be bombarded with opt-in notice requirements every time they search online,” the group, which is well aware that consumers tend to resist being bombarded with interruptions online, contends.
It concludes the response by promising it “is committed to seeing these rules undone, either by court challenges or action on Capitol Hill to reverse this extreme overreach by the agency.”
In other words, don’t expect the ANA to back down on this issue any time soon.
On the other hand, this position almost certainly puts advertisers at odds with the consumers they’re trying to reach. So much fun!!