ANA Defends Ad Industry Against Claims in FTC Social Media Report

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) today released the following statement from ANA CEO Bob Liodice responding to a range of inflammatory allegations about digital advertising in a new report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on social media and streaming video services

“Rather than simply throwing out the baby with the bathwater, this FTC report decides to tear down the entire house with a sensationalist report that claims that the theoretical harms of data use outweigh all the staggering benefits of the digital economy to individuals and businesses.

“Interest-based advertising is the economic engine that funds free and low-cost services to millions of Americans through the digital apps, online services, news publishers, and websites they love. In addition, digital advertising allows millions of small and local businesses to find and reach the consumers they need to grow and succeed.

“ANA strongly supports a federal privacy law that replaces the patchwork of state laws with robust nationwide privacy protections for consumers, and we look forward to working with Congress to develop the appropriate path forward on this issue, including the protection of vital ad-funded consumer services, economic growth, and the digital economy.”