Last updated: 17 February 2009

Your privacy is important to our organization, and our member companies are committed to helping you better understand both the benefits and privacy implications of online advertising, and to helping you exercise choices about behavioral advertising. As part of this commitment, the NAI has created a compliance program that incorporates attestation reviews, a consumer complaint process, sanctions and annual reporting to help ensure that member companies keep their promises to you and abide by the NAI's Self-Regulatory Code of Conduct. The following is an overview of the four components of our program.*

Attestation Reviews

The NAI requires that its members undergo annual compliance examinations by NAI staff. This review checks what the companies "say they do" against what they "must do" to ensure that their public representations are aligned with their obligations under the NAI Principles. This process also serves to educate and remind businesses about their ongoing responsibilities under the NAI Principles, and the sanctions that can result if they do not honor their commitments. In addition to conducting a pre-certification review of all new applicants, the NAI staff conducts annual reviews of each member and posts a summary of these results on this website. Click here to learn more about this review process.

Consumer Complaints

Web users may register a complaint against one or more NAI members if they believe that any member has violated the NAI Principles. Staff will review and, if warranted, investigate these complaints and notify the NAI member. Our goal is to identify any non-compliance with the NAI Principles, and to remedy a problem as quickly as possible once it has been identified.

When a consumer complaint has be received, NAI staff will first seek to determine whether the complaint relates to an NAI member, and to its NAI Principles compliance. In many instances, NAI staff can directly resolve the question or concern by responding back to the consumer. In other instances, if a technical problem or significant concern is raised by the complaint, NAI staff will refer the matter directly to the member company for resolution with the consumer. If the matter legitimately impacts NAI Principles compliance, and is not resolved within a reasonable time frame, the matter will be referred to the NAI Board of Directors for final review and potential sanctions. Click here to learn more about how matters are escalated within the program.

Sanctions

If a compliance matter has gone unresolved and NAI staff are able to make a conclusive finding that a member has, in fact, violated the NAI Principles, the Member will be notified in writing of the results. The member will then have 30 days to provide the NAI, in writing, a plan for redress of the violation(s) including key milestones. If the matter is not redressed within 30 days, the issue will be referred to the Board of Directors for review. The member will have the opportunity to address the Board to rebut a staff finding conclusive as to non-compliance. Based on a conclusive finding of non-compliance and failure to remedy the defect by the NAI Board, the NAI Board may suspend the member, publicly revoking its right to represent NAI membership, and referring the matter to the Federal Trade Commission's consumer protection division.

Annual Reporting

Beginning in 2009, the NAI will produce an annual summary of the nature and number of consumer complaints received, the nature and number of complaints that were escalated to membership and the nature and number of matters referred to the Board, specifying the name of companies, if any, that were sanctioned for failure to remedy compliance defects. The report will also reference the results of attestation reviews for member companies, and the results of weekly testing of our member's technology to ensure that the consumer opt-outs tools are functioning properly.

*Please return to this page frequently to learn of updates to our Compliance program and to review the annual reports generated by the NAI.