In an attempt to win the favor of consumer privacy advocates, Internet
marketer Engage Inc. announced Tuesday that it has submitted an enhanced specification of
the “TrustLabels” standard to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
The company, which is lobbying aggressively for the implementation of
TrustLabels as a free browser plug-in, believes the use of TrustLabels will
allow the Internet marketers to continue to measure advertising, while
simultaneously protecting consumers from privacy violations.
“This specification is a continued reflection of Engage’s commitment to
consumer privacy and the importance of a balance of self-regulation and
innovative technology solutions,” said Paul Schaut, president and chief executive officer of
Engage.
“We are pleased to submit the TrustLabel specification to the IETF
as it provides an open and unbiased forum to discuss this and other
important technical and policy changes that will shape the consumer
experience and competitive offerings from the Internet industry.”
Engage says that TrustLabels use cookies in ways that benefit the consumer.
According to Engage, TrustLabels allow cookies to limit the number of times
any one advertisement is displayed and will give consumers the ability to
accept or reject cookies based on the privacy policies of the Web sites
they visit. Also, when consumers using TrustLabels encounter third party
cookies that are not certified by trusted authorities or seal programs, they
will receive an alert from their Web browser.