The NAI Principles: How they help protect your privacy
Most of the advertising online today is provided by 3rd party ad networks. These networks use tools such as cookies to track your Web preferences and usage patterns in order to tailor advertising content to your interests. What you may not realize is that information gathered at one Website may be used to direct ad content at another site.
The NAI Principles, a set of self-regulatory measures first adopted by the NAI in 2000 and updated in 2008, require NAI member companies to post a notice on all Websites served by their networks. This notice informs you that:
The advertising networks may place a 3rd party cookie on your computer;
Such a cookie may be used to tailor ad content both on the site you are visiting as well as other sites within that network that you may visit in the future.
In addition to requiring notice to consumers about the use of 3rd party cookies, the NAI mandates that member advertising networks provide an "opt-out" mechanism for the targeted ad programs they provide. The NAI opt-out tool is a simple Web-based utility that allows you to opt out of receiving targeted ads from member ad networks.
Finally, the NAI Principles provide an enforcement mechanism to ensure that members are complying with the requirements of the Principles. Find out more about our enforcement program here. To file a complaint about a member, contact our complaint manager via our web form.
