What Google's Privacy Snafu Means for Self-Regulation

Will Google's latest privacy misstep compromise the ad industry's self-regulation efforts?

The discovery that Google and a handful of other companies were circumventing the privacy settings on Apple's Safari browser and had to recant has already brought back the privacy debate in Washington with a vengeance. Following the reports, more lawmakers raised questions and many called for the Federal Trade Commission to step in. But the controversy also could have repercussions for the integrity of the ad industry that has been working hard to convince Washington that it could self-regulate privacy policies. Just last week, days before the Google-Safari contretemps, the Network Advertising Association, of which Google is the largest ad network member, put out its annual audit confirming its members were in compliance with the organization's privacy code and guidelines. The whole incident with Google leaves the Network Advertising Initiative, a member of the Digital Advertising Alliance that is rolling out a self-regulatory program across the industry, in an awkward spot.