Your Online Privacy

Consumers' need for privacy and confidence in knowing what data is collected about them is universal no matter what environment they are participating in. Whether it be information held by trusted companies or a consumer’s participation online privacy concerns are the same.

What information is being collected about what I’m doing online?

The Australian Digital Advertising Alliance, of which ADMA is a member, understands these concerns and in response to this has developed:

• The Australian Best Practice Guidelines for Online Behavioural Advertising
• The www.youronlinechoices.com.au website

The Australian Best Practice Guideline for Online Behavioural Advertising contain significant consumer protections that complement the already existing and strong Australian Privacy Laws.

The Guideline:

Promotes transparency and choice

Companies must provide consumers with clear notice as to which data is collected, how it is collected, what it is used for and the ability to exercise choice over online ads. If companies wish to combine OBA Data with personal information they must treat the OBA Data as personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act (Principle I, II, III)

Promotes internal good practices in areas of privacy, data security and sensitive data

Companies are not permitted to create OBA categories to advertise to children under 13, must gain explicit consent from users if they wish to use sensitive market segments for OBA and must ensure all OBA data is stored securely and kept only as long as necessary to fulfil a legitimate business need (Principle IV, V)

Promotes consumer awareness
Through the www.youronlinechoices.com.au website which is designed to inform, educate and empower consumers. It has also committed to the ongoing monitoring and review of the Guidelines as they are put into practice (Principle VII)

Promotes accountability
Companies must put in place easily accessible and easy to use complaint procedures for consumers and ensure that they are compliant with the Guidelines within a period of six months (Principle VI, VII)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is online behavioural advertising?

Third Party online behavioural advertising is advertising that is delivered based on an internet enabled devise’s previous browsing history across multiple web ages.

An example of this might be you are planning a holiday to Rome. You visit a website’s section on Rome and view a few articles to stay and visit. On a future visit online, while reading an article about cricket you see an advertisement for a 2-for-1 dinner in Rome or an offer for discounted car hire in Rome. You receive these specially tailored ads because you, and other people like you, have shown an interest in Rome.

Third Party online behavioural advertising does not involve the collection or use of your personal information except where special consumer protections apply. Under the Australian Best Practice Guideline for Online Behavioural Advertising signatories are required to treat all online behavioural data as personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act.

To find out more about what online behavioural advertising is watch this short video or visit www.youronlinechoices.com.au.

How do I know which websites are engaging in Third Party Online Behavioural Advertising?

The Australian Best Practice Guidelines for Online Behavioural Advertising require organisations that have become signatories to the Guideline to give clear notice to consumers that they are engaging in Third Party Online Behavioural Advertising.

You will find this notice in or around advertisement, as a separate notice in or near the privacy policy of a specific website. You can also see which companies are signatories to the Guideline by visiting www.youronlinechoices.com.au.

If an organisation is not a signatory to the Guideline you still have the ability to exercise choice not to have data collected on your browsing behaviour by:

• Setting your browser to Private Viewing Mode
• Setting your browser to delete all cookies at the end of each session

I don’t want information collected on my browsing behaviour, how do I stop this?

Exercising choice in relation to whether you receive ads based on browsing behaviour of the device you use is easy.

Before you exercise choice though you might want to do the following research about what online behavioural advertising is and isn’t. If you still come to the decision that you don’t want to receive online ads based on the browsing history of the internet enabled device that you are using then exercising that choice is easy simply go to http://www.youronlinechoices.com.au/five-top-tips.

Please note that by expressing a preference to not receive ads based on browsing behaviour this will:

• Make your online browsing experience less relevant and tailored to your likes and dislikes
• Not mean that you don’t get advertisements online – they will just be less relevant

You can reverse your decision not to receive ads based on your browsing behaviour at any time by the same mechanism.

I’ve exercised my choice not to receive online behavioural ads but I’m still receiving relevant advertising

If you believe you are still receiving online ads based on online behavioural advertising then you can make a complaint via the www.youronlinechoices.com.au website.

Do you have any additional feedback?

If you have thoughts, ideas or concerns about online behavioural advertising and the Guidelines then we would like to hear from you.

Contact us to give feedback, share ideas or thoughts or concerns.

Download the Guideline