Data Privacy Online

Marketing leaders from around the world met recently in Chicago for the Annual Marketing Law Conference of the Promotion Marketing Association, entitled Converging Platforms and Diverging Laws. Attendees heard from a wide variety of speakers, including representatives of the world's largest brands, the Federal Trade Commission, technology pioneers and leading law firms.

The agenda was chock full of presentations designed to address the seemingly never-ending challenges that lawmakers and practitioners face while trying to keep pace with new technology and practices. Topics ranged from traditional advertising concerns and challenges with ever-changing social media and digital platforms to disclosure requirements in mobile app development. Perhaps the most commonly discussed theme, however, was that of data privacy — particularly concerns surrounding online/mobile tracking and targeting. It is clear that data privacy issues present unique challenges to an advertising