Digital ad firm pays $750,000 to settle charges it violated consumers’ Internet privacy

PointRoll, a digital advertising company owned by the Gannett Co., has entered into a $750,000 multistate settlement to resolve charges that the company violated consumers’ privacy by circumventing the privacy settings in Apple’s Safari Web browsers.

Six states allege that between December 13, 2011 and February 15, 2012 PointRoll unlawfully used a browser circumvention technique that allowed it to place browser cookies on consumers’ Safari Web browsers despite privacy settings designed to block cookies from third-parties and advertisers.

Cookies are small files set in Internet users’ Web browsers that allow advertisers to gather information about them including their Web surfing habits.

In addition paying money, the settlement also requires PointRoll to:

• Not override an Internet browser’s cookie-blocking settings.

• Not misrepresent why it collects and uses consumer information.

• Provide, on any Web site owned or operated by PointRoll, a section in its Privacy Policy that explains what cookies are, how they’re used, and how it will use the information gathered.

• Set up a Privacy Program that includes employee training on user privacy and an annual assessments of the effectiveness of program’s controls.

• Ensure that its servers are configured for two years to instruct Safari Web browsers to expire any cookie placed by PointRoll using its browser circumvention technique.

• Cooperate with compliance monitoring by the six states.

New Jersey led the multistate settlement. Other participating states are New York, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, and Illinois.

Copyright 2014, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist