What is OBA?

What is OBA?

The OBA is loosely used as the term to represent the Self Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising. This initiative clearly defines Online Behavioral Advertising (OBA) as follows:

Defining Online Behavioral Advertising

Online behavioral advertising (‘OBA’) is defined as the practice of collecting “data from a particular computer or device regarding Web viewing behaviors over time and across non-Affiliate Web sites for the purpose of using such data to predict user preferences or interests to deliver advertising to that computer or device based on the preferences or interests inferred from such Web viewing behaviors.” The purpose of OBA is to deliver relevant advertising to specific computers or devices in order to enrich the consumer online experience.

As defined in the Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising (“Principles”), OBA does not include:

  • The activities of First Parties (Web site publishers / operators) that are limited to their own or affiliated sites.
  • Ad delivery (i.e., delivery of online advertisements or advertising-related services using Ad Reporting data and not based on user preferences inferred from information collected over time and across non-affiliated Web sites);
  • Ad reporting (i.e., the collection or use of information for statistical reporting, Web analytics/analysis and advertising metrics); or
  • Contextual advertising (i.e., advertising based on the content of the Web page being visited, a consumer’s current visit to a Web page, or a search query).

The OBA is bound by seven key principles, which call for:

  1. Education for consumers and businesses about online behavioral advertising and the Principles.
  2. Transparency about data collection and use practices associated with OBA, providing consumers with clear, meaningful and prominent notice through multiple mechanisms.
  3. Consumer Control over whether data are collected and used or transferred for OBA purposes, provided through easy-to-use consumer choice mechanisms.
  4. Appropriate Data Security for, and limited retention of, data collected and used or OBA purposes.
  5. Obtaining consumer consent before a Material Change is made to an entity’s OBA data collection and use policies unless that change will result in less collection or use of data.
  6. Limitations on the collection of Sensitive Data for OBA purposes.
  7. Accountability for entities collecting and using data for OBA purposes, including mechanisms for enforcement of the Principles.

Implementing the Principles

  • Use of Advertising Option Icon in or around OBA ads by entities
  • Registration of entities on http://www.AboutAds.info and register or use of Icon on entity's web page
  • Supporting an opt-out mechanism for consumers who do not wish to not receive OBA ads
  • Accountability, enforced by DMA
  • Educational campaigns

Who it Impacts

The Principles cover three major types of entities that – working interdependently – deliver relevant advertising to specific computers or devices in ways that enrich the consumer online experience:

  • “First Parties”: such as Web site publishers / operators;
  • “Third Parties”: such as advertising networks and data companies (including ad exchanges and data aggregators) and in some cases advertisers; and
  • “Service Providers”: such as any internet access provider, search engine, Web tool bar, browser, or other service that enables the provider to have access to all or substantially all URLs accessed by its users, that in the course of its activities as such a provider, collects and uses such user data for OBA.

To learn about Crowd Science's position on OBA, please visit our OBA compliance page.