Local Media Consortium partners with Information Trust Exchange Governing Association to Establish First Data Privacy Protocol for Publishers

NEW YORK, March 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Local Media Consortium today announced that it has partnered with the Information Trust Exchange Governing Association to develop and implement a first-of-its-kind model to protect consumer privacy, improve brand safety, combat ad fraud and support local journalism. The group aims to establish the first consumer-focused governing protocol to protect and balance trust, data privacy, identity and information commerce.

Amid pressing concerns about a lack of accountability and transparency in today's digital advertising ecosystem, this unique group of stakeholders has established the Internet Multi-Stakeholder Privacy Initiative, a public-benefit consortium that includes publishers, technologists, researchers, entrepreneurs, advertisers and privacy advocates working together to develop a consumer-friendly privacy policy and standards for the online services of digital publishers.

The group will host the "Trust, Identity and Data Privacy ? A Multi-Stakeholder Approach: Protecting consumers, news, brands and democracy" convening event in Washington, D.C. April 24-25 to begin developing a policy that will be implemented by all of the LMC's 80 media company members and other local publishers. To enhance discussion at the meeting and gather input from a broader range of thought leaders, the LMC and ITEGA seek participation and input from policy makers, brands, agencies, associations and ad technologists. For more information and to request a seat at the meeting, click here.

"As consumers look to regain control of their privacy and identity online, ITEGA and its stakeholders understand the importance of creating a governing framework that is consistently adopted across publishing platforms and that reflects privacy protections and user consent," said Fran Wills, CEO of the LMC. "During meetings in Chicago and Brooklyn, a consensus emerged that a new model is possible; we are now gathering in Washington, D.C., to continue to map out a data ecosystem that best protects consumers, supports quality journalism and works for advertisers."

The Brooklyn meeting, held earlier this year on Jan. 15-16, discussed what, if any, kind of ad targeting is acceptable to consumers, the types of data individuals are comfortable sharing with news outlets and advertisers, and what the value exchange might be to support journalism. The 46-member group determined that success will depend on the ability of a nonprofit rule-making body to establish a privacy statement that can be consistently adopted across major publishers, strong consent policies and technology prototypes, and a federated sign-on structure offered by publishers to benefit users who choose to share information with permission. Task groups were formed to address privacy statement language, governance, technology and user experience. Each group will report on their progress at the Washington, D.C. convening.

"We look forward to another meeting to establish a forward-thinking privacy policy that works for individuals, publishers and advertisers," said Michelle De Mooy, an expert in privacy, data protection and technology policy, and a project consultant for ITEGA and the LMC. "We welcome stakeholders with expertise, insight and creativity to join this collaborative approach to support publishing in a user-centric, sustainable way."

The D.C. meeting may include the following actions: the approval and announcement of a privacy statement approved by LMC publishers; a discussion and approval of plans for a tech stack that will include a single sign on that individual publishers can implement and an opt-in user data exchange; and a discussion on the rules and processes for the governing nonprofit. The group aims to complete the first draft of a formal privacy statement in June.

About the Local Media Consortium
The Local Media Consortium delivers economic value through strategic partnerships on behalf of more than 80 local media companies in top markets across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, and includes more than 2,500 outlets. By harnessing the combined volume and scale of its members, the LMC reduces costs and increases revenue with technology and service providers like Google, Facebook, Monster and others. The aggregated LMC audience footprint spans 160 million unique monthly visitors and its member companies serve more than four billion pageviews to consumers. More information is available at www.localmediaconsortium.com.

About the Information Trust Exchange Governing Association
The Information Trust Exchange Governing Association (itega.org) enables the trusted exchange of information in the online marketplace. Through the development and enforcement of rules and network protocols, ITEGA champions the protection of individual privacy and user identity online and creates a framework of transparency and accountability for internet stakeholders. ITEGA is currently focused on helping news organizations improve the trustworthiness, relevance and value of advertising, and to build a sustainable marketplace for the sharing and distribution of valuable content. ITEGA is a U.S. tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public-benefit corporation.

Media Contacts:

Christina Gillham, 646-868-5174
[email protected]

Kristin Brocoff, 949-400-4899
[email protected]

SOURCE Local Media Consortium