Brussels, 17/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 15 December, the European Parliament (EP) adopted the report by Philippe Juvin (EPP, France) on intrusive advertising. With its vote, the EP is sending a strong signal to the European Commission to take steps so European citizens can be warned of the dangers of this kind of advertising, Juvin said. According to the EP, the 2005 directive on unfair business practices, which provides a wide-ranging legislative framework to tackle misleading advertising, is no longer up to the job.
Intrusive advertising is an aggressive technique which has developed with new information and communication technology, “hidden” advertising on the internet through comments on social networks and fora, geolocalisation and “behavioural” advertising which adapts to the interests of consumers and targets them. MEPs express their concern at the spread of such kinds of advertising which infringe privacy as they track individuals (cookies, profiling). The EP calls for the insertion of “the clearly readable words 'behavioural advertisement' into the relevant online advertisements”, along with a window containing a basic explanation of this practice. Consumers must also receive, clear, accessible and understandable information on how data on them are gathered and used, and should have to give their consent before their data can be retained. To improve consumer safety, the Parliament calls on the Commission to develop an EU website labelling system, modelled on the European Privacy Seal, which certifies a site's standard of data protection. It also urges the Commission to develop an EU advertising literacy programme to protect vulnerable consumers such as children. At the same time, the media are encouraged to restrict TV advertising addressed at children during TV programmes. The EP condemns advertising which promotes stereotypes such as gender roles, the human body image and normality. “It is essential that a balance is found between a powerful advertising industry in Europe, which helps the internal market work, and consumer protection,” Juvin said in conclusion. (I.L./transl.rt)