New rules overseen by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) come into effect today that aim to provide more control over online behavioural advertising (OBA).

OBA is a method used to target advertising. Information is gathered via your Web browser about your viewing behaviour and it is then used to serve up ads that are supposed to be more interesting to you, based on your habits.

So for example, if you’ve been browsing online stores for a pair of jeans, adverts from those stores will turn up on other sites to remind you that you had been looking in the hope that you will return and do your shopping.

The ASA has some clear guidance and information about OBA in a guide that you can find here. It covers the basics along with settings and cookie consent.

The new rules mean that ad networks that deliver these kinds of ads need to make clear that they are doing so. According to the ASA, this would most likely appear as an icon in the corner of online ads.

Advertising networks must also let consumers control whether or not they see targeted ads by providing an opt-out tool so that people can easily turn them off.

If consumers choose to opt-out of receiving this kind of advertising, but it continues, the ASA will take action on their behalf. The Information Commissioner is responsible for looking into complaints about consent and the placement of cookies on browsers.

Chief Executive of the ASA, Guy Parker says: “The new rules will provide greater awareness of and control over OBA, demystifying how advertisers deliver more relevant ads to us and allowing those of us who object to say “stop”. We’ll be there to make sure that the ad networks stick to the rules.”

There are existing ad blockers of course. Mozilla offers TACO the Targeted Advertising Cookie Opt-Out, Chrome offers ‘Keep my Opt-Outs’ as an extension and if you use Internet Explorer, it’s worth checking the Internet User Privacy settings to suit your tastes.

Sadly the Chrome Adblock that replaced ads with pictures of cats for April Fools day last year is no longer available.

Image Credit: Anniemole / Flickr

via The Next Web http://thenextweb.com/uk/2013/02/04/uk-online-behavioural-advertising-rules-come-into-effect-today-to-provide-consumers-with-opt-out-choices/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNextWeb+%28The+Next+Web+All+Stories%29

Jamillah Knowles johalputt The Next Web

04:15

Successful Dragon’s Den contestant, Peter Hart of Fun Fancy Dress, has revealed a new business venture that was inspired by his experience on the TV show.

Pitchforit is a video pitching site that is described as ‘Dragon’s Den without the nerves’ – so basically getting your pitch in front of possible investors without having to be mauled on prime-time television.

Prospective investors can watch all of the video pitches for free and register to contact the entrepreneurs. To add your pitch to the selection on offer there is a stepped pricing system. To upload your own work costs £49 ($77), to have Pitchforit film you at one of its drop-in locations (this service has not been rolled out yet) will put you back £79 ($124) and there will be an animation service listed as ‘coming soon’ which uses the Goanimate system and provides videos within seven days.

For a limited time the service is free, which means that the site has an interesting population of pitches to provide some inspiration about how you might want to stand out from that crowd.

As well as being open to possible investors to cruise by and take a look, the site has a panel of entrepreneurs which are said to be ‘ready and willing to consider business opportunities’. These include Rachel Elnaugh, also a Dragon’s Den contestant and founder of Red Letter Days; Mark Pearson, founder of MyVoucherCodes and appeared on the Secret Millionaire TV show. Confused.com founder Sara Murray OBE, 4Networking founder Brad Burton and Ruth Badger, a former contestant on the UK version of The Apprentice are also listed.

The service has already had at least one hit. Laura Thomas who founded the health business Happy Sugar Habits, bagged £10,000 from digital agency GTI who came across Pitchforit before it had even launched.

The service is interesting and browsing the existing videos also provides a curious sample of how people present themselves and their pitch. It’s excellent for research.

Putting pitches through a gatekeeper like this might seem counterintuitive to some, but if this does become a showcase where investors regularly drive by to find fresh possibilities, it does make it a handy place to find prospects.

Image Credit: epSos.de / Flickr

via The Next Web http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/01/30/former-dragons-den-contestant-peter-hart-launches-video-pitching-service/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNextWeb+%28The+Next+Web+All+Stories%29

Jamillah Knowles johalputt The Next Web

03:43