Network Advertising Initiative Releases Consumer Opt-Out Protector

Beta Release of New Firefox AddOn Helps Users Protect OptOut Choices

Washington DC -- November 5, 2009 -- The Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) today released a beta version of the NAI Consumer Opt-Out Protector, a Firefox Add On that allows users to protect their behavioral advertising preferences by preventing the accidental deletion of NAI members’ opt-out cookies.

Since its creation in 2000, the NAI has given consumers a way to learn more about online behavioral advertising and to opt out of such advertising from any or all of the NAI’s members. The opt-out process for NAI member companies uses browser cookies. In the past, if users cleared their browser cookies, the NAI’s members could no longer recognize a user as having opted out. With the installation of the Add On for the Firefox browser, however, users can now help protect their opt-out preferences from accidental deletion.

"The NAI and its members are constantly working to improve the tools we offer online users, and this is an important step in helping ensure that users’ opt-out preferences are protected even if they delete their cookies," said Charles Curran, executive director of the Network Advertising Initiative. "We will continue to work with policymakers, technologists and privacy advocates to help users to learn about their choices for online behavioral advertising and make educated decisions to protect their privacy."

The opt-out protector tool was designed in cooperation with BlueKai, an NAI member, which developed the add-on utility incorporated in the NAI’s tool. “Once a consumer chooses to opt-out, it is crucial that as an industry we have the technology in place to adhere to that decision on a persistent basis,” said Omar Tawakol, CEO of BlueKai. “We’re excited that the NAI is leveraging BlueKai’s extensible approach which gives consumers the ability to protect multiple trusted lists of opt-out cookies."

The NAI Consumer Opt Out Protector works by recognizing when the opt-out cookies of NAI members chosen by a user are deleted, and then reinstalling those cookies to ensure the opt-out continues to be recognized. The plug-in offers a control panel allowing users to review all of the opt-out cookies currently being protected. The plug-in also notifies a user through the control panel if important information or updates are available. A user can also choose to install an additional trusted list of opt-out cookies from other companies via the control panel if they wish.

The plug-in currently recognizes and protects opt outs from NAI members regardless of whether the opt-out takes place on the NAI site or via the ad network itself. The NAI plans to make the opt-out protector, or a comparable tool, available to the users of other browsers, including Internet Explorer.

The software is available for download on the NAI site at www.networkadvertising.org .

Source: NAI