Cellphone Marketers Plan Rules on Privacy

Facing growing public concern about privacy breaches, a lobby representing mobile-phone advertisers and publishers called for guidelines to better protect smartphone users from intrusive tracking technologies.

The Mobile Marketing Association said Dec 20 it would begin work on a "comprehensive set of mobile privacy guidelines" to help marketers and phone users navigate the rapidly changing landscape. "We need to create consistency so marketers know how to act and consumers know what to expect," said Greg Stuart, global chief executive of the MMA, which represents publishers, advertisers, developers of smartphone "apps" and telecom companies.