Online Advertising

With Congress already helping drive nails into ad firm NebuAd‘s coffin, the Sen Commerce Committee took one more crack at online advertising Thurs. The gist: big broadband providers testifying, Verizon, AT&T and Time Warner Cable, said they support opting-in for using customer data to target ads. The fact that customers had to opt-out instead of opt-in to NebuAd’s targeting was one of lawmakers’ big concerns. Time Warner Cable chief strategy officer Peter Stern said targeting advertising would only take place on the MSO’s network if customers consented and were informed what it would mean. "We think that the harm that you’ve raised is one that customers will be able to evaluate and weigh against the benefits that they’ll enjoy by being able to see more relevant ads," he told Sen Byron Dorgan (D-ND). Time Warner has not engaged in any online, targeted advertising.