Privacy Watchdog Brings Popular Photo Studio App Developer into Compliance with Digital Advertising Best Practices
For Immediate Release
Contact: Abby Hills, Director of Communications, BBB National Programs
703.247.9330 / press@bbbnp.org
Arlington, VA –August 11, 2020– BBB National Programs’ privacy watchdog, the Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP), today released a new data privacy case for the popular mobile app publisher PicsArt, outlining actions taken to date to bring the company into compliance with the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA)’s Self-Regulatory Principles.
DAAP conducts network traffic tests of popular mobile apps available, sending letters to app publishers where it finds a gap in compliance with best privacy practices. During this monitoring, DAAP discovered that third parties were collecting mobile device identifiers through PicsArt’s eponymous photo editing app, which has half a billion downloads in the Google Play Store.
DAAP sent the company an inquiry letter, and as a result PicsArt worked quickly to its meet interest-based advertising data privacy requirements.
The company:
Added a jump link to the top of its privacy policy that mobile device users can follow to learn more about interest-based advertising occurring on PicsArt’s apps and exercise mobile app privacy choices.
Incorporated an up-front “enhanced notice” link on every page where third parties collect cookie data on PicsArt’s website, which leads directly to a description of this activity and a link to an industry-developed opt-out tool.
Added a statement of adherence to the DAA Principles to its privacy disclosures.
Today’s case release brings to 120 the public actions taken by DAAP since the program began its self-regulatory mission in 2011.
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About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs is where businesses turn to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard. The non-profit organization creates a fairer playing field for businesses and a better experience for consumers through the development and delivery of effective third-party accountability and dispute resolution programs. Embracing its role as an independent organization since the restructuring of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in June 2019, BBB National Programs today oversees more than a dozen leading national industry self-regulation programs, and continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-directed marketing, and privacy. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.
About the Digital Advertising Accountability Program: The Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP), a division of BBB National Programs, was developed by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) to enforce industry self-regulation principles for data privacy in online and mobile advertising, holding companies accountable to the DAA’s Privacy Principles. DAAP provides guidance to companies looking to comply with industry principles and responds to complaints filed by consumers about online privacy.
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