In response to criticism over plans to use extensive on-line
consumer data for commercial purposes, DoubleClick, the US based
internet advertising company, today announced the appointment of a
Consumer Privacy Advisory Board, an independent board of consumer
advocates, security experts and authorities in the field of on-line
privacy.
The Board, which will meet for the first time on June 2nd, will make recommendations on how DoubleClick can improve privacy procedures. It will examine issues ranging from internet privacy and security to online ethics.
DoubleClick has been criticised because of its methods of tracking on-line consumer behaviour patterns and storing the information in a database. The company has postponed plans to combine records of browsing habits with a separate consumer database containing names, addresses and other personal information.
DoubleClick also announced that it would only do business in the future with US web publishers that have privacy policies and that it has hired the accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an independent audit so that consumers can be confident that DoubleClick is living up to its privacy policies.
"We have put together a strong and diverse group of experts who will be instrumental in helping DoubleClick address the critical privacy issues that affect our business," said Jules Polonetsky, Chief Privacy Officer of DoubleClick. "As DoubleClick moves forward with its mission to deliver effective online advertising, this Board will be an important voice in ensuring that the company strives for the highest privacy standards."
In the US, data protection is largely unregulated. Businesses in the UK must be careful to follow the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, about which you can learn more in our guide on Data Protection.
