Online Advertising

July 10, 2008

As MPA members have continued to evolve their online presence, the importance of online advertising has increased significantly.  As publishers look for ways to continue to provide high quality content for little or no cost, they have expanded their use of contextual advertising, more targeted “behavioral” advertising, and ad networks, to the benefit of all.

As the use of this technology has expanded, so too has the oversight of its use.  Congress, the FTC, and several state legislatures have considered or suggested proposals to govern the use of online advertising.  As is the case in all consumer issues, MPA’s first focus is consumer privacy, and closely monitors any initiative to ensure consistency with the privacy principles advocated by MPA – namely a “notice and choice” or “opt-out” system.  We also work to ensure that these crucial consumer pieces are balanced with the enormous benefits online advertising provides all content users.