Mobile supplement to the ICC Resource Guide for Self-Regulation of Interest Based Advertising

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is uniquely positioned to provide guidance on marketing and advertising around the globe.

Over the years, the ICC Code has served as the foundation and building block for self-regulatory structures around the world. These self-regulatory systems have helped industry build trust with consumers by promoting advertising that is honest, legal, decent and truthful, while offering quick and easy redress when transgressions occur.

The Code has also served business and society by providing ethical guidelines that build on fundamental pillars, create a level playing field and harmonize approaches across markets, while minimizing the need for legislative or regulatory restrictions that add inefficiency and cost. As new practices and technologies have evolved, ICC has revised and extended the scope of the Code to assure its usefulness and relevance. In this way, the Code also demonstrates that when effectively implemented, self-regulation has an ability to be more rapidly adaptable and responsive to market needs than most legislative alternatives.

This policy paper expands on existing guidelines on interest based advertising (IBA) to address mobile issues such as location data and cross-device targeting.  These guidelines for mobile technologies, applications (apps), and mobile advertising are a supplement to the ICC Resource Guide for Self-Regulation of Interest based Advertising. The guidance and its underlying principles are consistent with ICC self-regulatory guidance, a key tenet of which is that self-regulation is most effective when it applies to – and is honored by – all actors in the business ecosystem.