BBB National Programs Blog

Despite what you may hear about global privacy laws, exceeding minimum standards with a unified privacy program is feasible for most businesses. While there is not one common global data privacy law, there are standard privacy practices common across jurisdictions. This idea can be summed up in one word: interoperability. Standard data privacy practices, when properly documented and certified, are recognized as a baseline around the world.

This 2020 election season, voters will consider candidates for offices high and low: from governors and state attorneys general all the way to congressmen, senators, and the President of the United States. Campaigns have increasingly turned to digital advertising to reach voters with their messages and drive them to the polls.

The term “warranty” is common and can be applied to many different things – the purchase of a house, a new piece of technology, or a vehicle. Though a familiar term, what a warranty is and does is not always known beyond the general “it protects my purchase.” A warranty is a contract between the “purchaser” of a product, often called the “consumer,” and the “seller” of that product, usually a business.

In today’s data-driven economy, good privacy practices are inextricable from good business. Everyone is taking a closer look at how personal information is collected and used these days. Consumers and employees are more informed about how to protect the privacy of their data. Regulators are raising the temperature, armed with updated rules. And businesses are requiring much more than general assurances that their contracting parties will handle data with care. Know the why, the what, and the who of privacy certifications.

In today’s digital world, there are numerous ways that voters might encounter political content online. They might see their favorite candidate displayed in a banner on their favorite website. Alternatively, they may see their top social issue captured in a video message in their newsfeed. And of course, they might encounter organic political content shared by friends, family, and co-workers across their networks.

Now that it’s the 2020 campaign season, your digital advertising experience has probably changed to include ads extolling or condemning certain candidates for office. This phenomenon is known as express advocacy political advertising.

Privacy has become a very public matter. The issue of properly managing personal data is not only big in the U.S.; it is increasingly important around the world. Even though global privacy regulations are actively shifting, maintaining a robust privacy program with independent indicators will go a long way toward minimizing the scrutiny of consumers and government agencies.

Where is the line between ethical, persuasive design and dark patterns? Businesses should engage in conversations with IT, compliance, risk, and legal teams to review their privacy policy, and include in the discussion the customer/user experience designers and coders responsible for the company’s user interface, as well as the marketers and advertisers responsible for sign-ups, checkout baskets, pricing, and promotions. Any or all these teams can play a role in creating or avoiding “digital deception.”

This week we celebrate the 50th anniversary of independent self-regulation in advertising. On May 18, 1971, the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) and its investigative arm, the National Advertising Division (NAD) were announced.

Direct selling – when done correctly – can benefit distributors and consumers. Unfortunately, it only takes a few bad actors to compromise the integrity of an entire industry. The direct selling industry faces difficult and important challenges in enhancing consumer and regulatory confidence in the marketing of its products and services. Successful and effective self-regulation has often been described as a marathon and not a sprint and, as such, requires ongoing commitment and participation from the industry.