DAA Blog

Big idea (in full): Federal, state and local governments are using the AdChoices Icon to offer transparency and access to consumer control mechanisms. Why? Because DAA Principles keep consumers’ privacy interests front-forward, right in the ad, while enabling advertising relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability.

Throughout American history, government agencies and institutions have used powerful advertising campaigns to drive civic engagement and education.

Iconic Government-to-Consumer (G2C) campaigns over the decades have included Rosie the Riveter’s WWII effort (“We Can Do It!”), Smokey Bear protecting our forests (“Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires”), and Larry the crash test dummy reminding viewers to buckle up (“You can learn a lot from a dummy.”)

In recent years, government agencies have followed their constituents online, using effective digital campaigns to deliver relevant ads to the American people.

As that shift continues, it’s deeply gratifying to see many state and federal government agencies and their adtech partners using the AdChoices Icon to provide consumers with information and control around interest-based advertising (IBA) through the digital advertising campaigns they run. 

Like more familiar B2C advertising, the objectives of G2C ads are as diverse as the agencies that run them, from tourism to military recruiting, public safety, public health, higher education, and employment....

Big Idea (in full): Businesses that prioritize transparent, consumer-friendly privacy practices based on DAA Principles signal to regulators that they care. Self-regulation and DAA program participation are essential for all organizations in the digital advertising space – and, in spirit – these tools support the intended goals in a good number of state privacy laws.

I’ve often said that independent enforcement is one of the keystones to the Digital Advertising Alliance’s long-standing success as a self-regulatory program. 

At DAA Summit 25 ADvocate, industry leaders and independent enforcers stressed that clear disclosures, effective opt-outs, and careful vendor oversight are not only necessary for a Principles-based framework for data governance but also helpful in navigating a complex and evolving patchwork of state privacy laws while maintaining consumer trust. 

In short, adherence to DAA Principles gives businesses and organizations a great head start on ensuring they adhere to state, federal and international laws, while also answering privacy-conscious consumers’ ever-present questions, “Why did I get this ad?” and for those seeking choices for their ads, “What can I do about it?” 
In our annual Summit session dedicated to compliance with DAA Principles this year, we had the benefit of perspective from a state law enforcement official among the panelists. Public adherence to DAA Principles is an important signal...

For 15 years, self-regulatory principles have supported the responsible growth of interest-based advertising. This unique industry-led initiative has enabled effective, independently enforced consumer privacy safeguards and controls  while  allowing the advertising-subsidized internet to flourish.

These facts about AdChoices ought to be shared and amplified with federal policy makers as they consider an omnibus federal privacy law. As the DAA Summit audience heard, the best vehicle for making this happen is through their voices as constituents and business people - from small-to-medium-to-larger organizations.

That was the driving force behind our Hill Day program this year, and the primary reason why we selected Washington, DC, as the site of our 2025 Summit – knowing in advance that new Members of Congress, and a possible new Administration, would need to hear directly from the responsible digital advertising ecosystem.

And to help us provide insider context and positioning, ahead of our Capitol Hill visits, we also invited two leaders to speak at the program – one from the private sector and one from the policy community. Their exchange, in short, motivated and inspired.

Jerry Jones, executive vice president, chief ethics and legal officer, LiveRamp, and the Honorable Dean Heller, former U.S. Senator and Representative (R-NV), and senior policy advisor, Venable LLP, sat down at the DAA Summit 25 ADvocate to offer an assessment...

Big Idea (in full): Small businesses power the U.S. economy and rely on digital advertising and data to find new customers, thrive and grow. As policy debates unfold, the real-world impact of state-by-state regulatory patchwork is being felt acutely by entrepreneurs and independent publishers. A unified approach, a pragmatic federal law, is not only warranted — it’s essential.

Google’s Alex Propes (center) sat down with “Chef Dennis” Littley (left) and Jason Anthony (right) for a conversation about how digital advertising and larger platforms support their small businesses.

The Digital Advertising Alliance’s (DAA) Summit 25 in Washington, DC spotlighted the backbone of the U.S. economy: the small business owners who make up 99.9 percent of all enterprises. In a panel moderated by Google’s Alex Propes, panelists Jason Anthony (Jason Anthony Group) and Dennis Littley (Ask Chef Dennis Productions) shared firsthand how digital advertising and responsible access to data are not abstract policy ideas — but necessities in their small businesses.

Both panelists underscored a fundamental truth: digital tools and data access are the great equalizers that allow...

Big idea (in full):  With Republicans leading the House, Senate and White House, and both parties in support of a would-be federal law, the opportunity to advance a bill is perhaps as strong as it ever has been. Business – with the advertising industry among a broader coalition – needs to advance a united voice in support.

At the midpoint of 2025, momentum is building behind a national privacy framework — and this time, it feels different. This is a primary reason why the Digital Advertising Alliance chose Washington, DC, this year, as the site of its annual summit, with this year’s theme being “ADvocate.”

On Capitol Hill, there’s broad recognition that consumer data protections, innovation safeguards, and digital advertising practices need a durable, nationwide and pragmatic governance framework – in the form of a  national law. At the center of this charge is Rep. John Joyce (R‑PA-13), vice-chair of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, who made clear in a visit at the DAA’s Summit 25 that crafting a fresh, preemptive federal privacy bill is his top priority for the remainder of this Congress.

Rep. John Joyce sat with DAA Counsel Mike Signorelli, and partner, Venable LLP, to answer questions about the momentum around the prospects for a  ...