Protecting consumer privacy rights
Last week, a complaint was filed by two consumer rights groups in the US regarding privacy issues, claiming deceptive practices were prevalent throughout the mobile advertising industry.
The Center for Digital Democracy and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group filed their complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and an answer is expected in the coming weeks.
First, it has to be said that the list of companies featured in the complaint reads like a Who’s Who of the mobile industry with Google, Yahoo and Nokia named alongside 40 other companies.
Bango is one of those featured. So what does Bango have to say about the accusations? Here’s what Ray Anderson, CEO of Bango said on the subject.
“The company does not provide personal information about consumers, except where a user actively opts-in to request information from named third parties in which they are interested. Our mobile identity technology is designed specifically to enable mobile analytics without ever compromising consumer privacy.
“We follow all network operator and industry guidelines on mobile consumer privacy – for example as provided by the Mobile Marketing Association in North America and through the Payforit scheme in the UK. Advertisers and content providers use the Bango analytical tools with the confidence that data analysis provided is done according to industry best practice.”
There’s an excellent analysis of the implications of this privacy complaint on the mobile marketing industry by Peggy Anne Salz in today’s Mobile Marketer. She so aptly sums up the debate with the following: “Mobile, unlike the PC Internet, enables individuals to co-create their mobile advertising experiences, dictating the terms on which they will accept marketing messages and the grounds on which they will reject it as spam.”
Through our mobile analytics product, Bango helps businesses understand the effectiveness of their ad campaigns and how users interact with their mobile websites. At no point, is user privacy compromised.