Enhanced Consumer Choice Tool for Interest-Based Advertising

The Enhanced Version of the Tool Addresses Non-Cookie Technologies, Offers Improved Consumer Interface and Enhanced Choice Options

TORONTO – March 19, 2018 – The Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC) today unveiled an enhanced version of their consumer choice mechanism for setting preferences about data collection and used for online interest-based advertising.

Improvements to the DAAC tool provide an enhanced user experience, the ability for companies to easily disclose to consumers their use of both cookie-based and non-cookie technologies for digital interest-based advertising (IBA), and controls for users to opt-out of such use.

The tool now offers a significantly improved consumer experience, including a simplified, mobile-responsive interface, a reduced need to modify browser settings for successful opt-outs, and a real-time status check that reports the use of both cookie-based and non-cookie technologies. The DAAC also ensured that the tool was translated to Canadian French for users that have that set as their primary language in their browser.

Non-cookie technologies are used as an emergent tracking practice for IBA. Due to the global nature of digital, providing an opt-out to consumers by companies found using non-cookie technologies is now a feature of the tool. Non-cookie technologies are mechanisms, other than cookies, used to distinguish your browser from others. These technologies can include browser cache, locally stored objects (LSO's), or statistical identifiers.

“The improvements to the tool provide increased transparency into emerging data practices such as the use of non-cookie technologies for interest-based advertising,” said DAAC Executive Director Julie Ford. “Consumers visit our tool thousands of times per week, so investing in the tool’s effectiveness is a key priority for our organization.”

Consumers who have already used the existing DAAC choice tool to express their digital advertising preferences will not have those preferences changed by the new version of the tool. Since the updated tool covers both cookie-based and non-cookie technology, consumers are encouraged to use this enhanced tool if they wish to opt-out of IBA that uses non-cookie technology.

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.