Several major advertising trade groups announced yesterday that starting in 2010, they will implement a new set of self-imposed guidelines on how they collect and use your personal info, in an attempt to prevent the government from handing down federal regulations.

According to Forbes, the collected trade groups represent 5,000 Internet and advertising companies, “including Yahoo, Microsoft and Google.”

So what do the new guidelines address? Transparency mostly, says Forbes:

They call for third-party and service providers to include a notice on their Web sites that describes the types of data being collected, and how it is used, as well as a way for consumers to block the collection and use of data for behavioral advertising purposes, or selling that data to a third party.

We think there’s already an excellent example of this sort of full disclosure on a mainstream website—All Things Digital by the Wall Street Journal. On your first visit to the site, this is what you see:

It’s simple and clear. It’s visually appealing so it won’t be ignored or treated as dreaded legalese (we like the subtle touch of making it float behind Mossberg’s head, so that it feels like an organic part of the site). And it appears above any content to grab your attention immediately. Start with that, ad trade groups, and you’ll have taken a good first step.

“Ad Groups Aim To Inform Consumers About How Their Data Is Used” [Forbes]
(Photo: blakespot)

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