The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) has announced that from September 1st it will take complaints about online behavioural advertising (OBA).

Many online users are spooked to find that, after searching for say, car parts, the next time they log on they are met with an ad, or even several ads, for their local car part suppliers.

That’s OBA, a form of targeted advertising that involves the collection of information from a computer’s web browser such as Internet Explorer, Chrome or Firefox, so that it can be used to deliver online advertisements.

Self-regulation
The new rules require that companies delivering OBA make it clear that they are doing so. Most are likely to do so through showing an icon in the corner of online advertisements.

The industry-wide self-regulatory standard for OBA is an attempt to protect consumer privacy and is a direct response to the call by EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes for an effective pan-European initiative regarding OBA. It's possible to opt out of receiving OBA on youronlinechoices.eu, an EU-funded site listing various media companies which place such ads.

If after they’ve opted out, consumers are still receiving ads which seem a lot more knowing than they should, then the ASIA will take up the complaint.