Biz Groups: Mandate Will Undercut Self-Regulation Program

Do-not-track legislation is unnecessary because current industry's self-regulatory program already calls for ad networks to allow users to opt out of online tracking, a coalition of ad and business groups told the Federal Trade Commission.

"Industry currently provides the type of uniform consumer choice for online behavioral advertising that the FTC endorses," the groups said in written comments. "The federal government should not undercut the industry's commitment to the program by creating a duplicative Do-Not-Track mechanism." The comments were filed in response to an FTC report issued last December that sought comment on a host of privacy proposals, including whether the government should require Web companies to offer consumers a mechanism to avoid all online tracking by advertisers and their agents. Groups joining in the filing include the American Advertising Federation, American Association of Advertising Agencies, Association of National Advertisers, Direct Marketing Association, Interactive Advertising Bureau, Performance Marketing Association and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A federally mandated do-not-track program "would reverse the substantial progress made in the last 15 months and could signal to consumers that they should not trust the business community or online behavioral advertising as a whole," the groups say.