Additional Guidance Released for the Canadian AdChoices Program

The new guidance covers additional ways marketers may be reaching consumers using interest-based advertising and how the self-regulatory program applies

TORONTO, ONTARIO – June 1, 2018 – The Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC) has published a document called the Supplementary Guidance for the DAAC Principles in order to provide direction to participants for how to stay in compliance with the program as the IBA ecosystem evolves and grows in different directions.

The guidance makes clear that the transparency and choice obligations in the existing DAAC Principles applies to IBA data practices used in native advertising and lookalike data modelling – these practices are subject to the DAAC’s independent compliance monitoring provided by Ad Standards.

Addressing Diverse IBA Practices

Native advertising has had a place in the DAAC wheelhouse for several years, but it wasn’t until now that official DAAC guidance exists to clearly state what is expected in this area of marketing. The inclusion of the treatment to such data within these guidelines provides a more prominent resource to participants.

Lookalike data, which is data modelled to one person based on another, was also covered by the DAAC Principles, but it required a carve-out within these guidelines to ensure there was clear communication to participants what the expectations are when complying with the self-regulatory program.

Communicating the Program Effectively

In order to effectively communicate to consumers what the AdChoices program means, it should be in the consumer’s preferred language in Canada. To address this, the guidance also includes directions as to how to identify the consumer’s browser language and what resources to link them to in relation to the AdChoices program.

“Enhanced consumer transparency and control for interest-based advertising is the focus of our self-regulatory program. This new guidance aims to close the loop for modern IBA practices in an aim to keep pace with a rapidly evolving ad landscape, and effectively disclosing to consumers when it’s happening so that they can control it if they so choose,” said Julie Ford, DAAC Executive Director, “This will be a living document, updated when it’s known that our participants require further clarity in certain areas.”

About the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada

The Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC) is a consortium of the leading national advertising and marketing associations whose members share commitment to delivering a robust and credible program for responsible online interest-based advertising (IBA).

The Canadian AdChoices program was developed by the DAAC and designed to educate consumers about IBA and provide mechanisms for consumers to know when IBA is occurring and the ability to control whether or not they choose to permit the collection and use of their browsing data for IBA purposes. Companies may reference the DAAC’s AdChoices Principles and learn more at YourAdChoices.ca.