Privacy Initiatives

Advancing privacy best practices and operating independent, third-party accountability programs to help businesses and consumers navigate the digital marketplace


Businesses that collect personal information understand the critical need to comply with privacy and data protection laws. But from small startups to global enterprises, some businesses choose to do more: leading the way by demonstrating their embrace of privacy standards and best practices that set the tone for their industry.

 

BBB National Programs works with individual companies, industry groups, and regulators to develop, monitor, and enforce robust privacy standards. Our trusted privacy programs deliver independent accountability for privacy promises, whether built on self-regulatory principles or legal requirements, tailored to respond to the unique privacy challenges presented by specific data types, like children’s data, or use cases, such as emerging technologies and cross-border transfers.

 

Together our programs drive the adoption of unified privacy practices, facilitate consumer education and choice, and offer consumers accessible, no-cost privacy dispute resolution. Looking to the future, where new regulations and technologies bring new privacy challenges, BBB National Programs brings together stakeholders to craft enforceable and fair mechanisms that protect consumers in the marketplace, and enable responsible businesses to compete on trust and accountability. 

 

To learn more about our work—and to join in the effort—please check out the programs, initiatives, and resources below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Global Privacy Division

Through BBB National Programs’ Global Privacy Division, businesses show their partners and customers that they put privacy first, no matter where they operate. Our programs serve as key elements of frameworks like the Cross-Border Privacy Rules and Privacy Shield (soon to be the Data Privacy Framework), bridging gaps between divergent privacy and data protection regimes.

 

 

Thought Leadership 

Blog

Fifty Shades of Consumer Health Data: Unclear Expectations for Digital Privacy

While momentum continues to build around what a regulated consumer health privacy landscape looks like, the environment remains shrouded in shades of gray. To date, a risk-based approach to consumer health data does not exist, but we believe a sliding scale for the risks carried by consumer health data should.
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Blog

California Privacy Enforcement: Whose Job Is It Anyway?

The California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 went into effect bringing new privacy rights to California consumers and created the California Privacy Protection Agency. CCPA will continue to be enforced by the California Office of the Attorney Genera. Which begs the question: Whose enforcement is it anyway?
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Blog

Reflections on A New Consumer Privacy Health Standard in Washington

Governor Jay Inslee signed the My Health, My Data Act in the state of Washington, setting an important precedent about how to legislate consumer health data in the U.S. Here are some components of this legislation worth your attention.
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Blog

New WA Consumer Health Law Drives Call to Action: Adopt Robust Standards in the Health B2C Marketplace

The breadth of the Washington state My Health My Data Act brings digital consumer health protections into focus -- from every angle possible -- and will create important overlaps among existing consumer privacy laws, health and biometrics privacy laws, and this new standard for consumer health data in Washington.
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Podcast

Privacy IRL: Meet the Hosts of Priv

Many people think privacy is a narrow lane, but in reality, privacy is so much more. In this episode of Priv, host Dona Fraser interviews our new co-host, Jason Cronk, on how he defines privacy, what drives him, and a little bit about his journey into a career in privacy.

Listen to the Podcast

 

 

 

Latest Announcements

Press Release

BBB National Programs’ Statement on Executive Order to Implement the European Union-U.S. Data Privacy Framework

McLean, VA – October 07, 2022 – Dona Fraser, BBB National Programs’ Senior Vice President, Privacy Initiatives, issued the following statement today on the Biden Administration’s Executive Order to implement U.S. commitments under the European Union-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.

Read the Statement
Press Release

Children’s Advertising Review Unit Issues Compliance Warning for Child-Directed Advertising in the Metaverse

McLean, VA – August 23, 2022 – BBB National Programs’ Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) today issued a new compliance warning regarding the application of CARU’s Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children’s Advertising to advertising practices directed to children in the metaverse. This warning puts advertisers on notice...

Read the Press Release
Decision

Children’s Advertising Review Unit Finds Roblox in Violation of Its Advertising Guidelines; Recommends Modifications and Compliance Monitoring

McLean, VA – May 12, 2022 – The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) has found Roblox in violation of CARU Advertising Guidelines for responsible advertising to children under age 13. This case also reviewed privacy concerns that will be addressed with Roblox's COPPA Safe Harbor. 

Read the Decision Summary
Decision

CARU Finds Gameloft’s Disney Getaway Blast App in Violation of COPPA and CARU’s Advertising and Privacy Guidelines; Gameloft Agrees to Corrective Actions

McLean, VA – November 1, 2022 – The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) has found Gameloft S.A. in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and CARU’s Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Advertising and for Children’s Online Privacy Protection. Upon receipt...

Read the Decision Summary

 

 

Events