Privacy Watchdog Brings Sonobi into Compliance with Digital Advertising Privacy Best Practices

McLean, VA – December 14, 2023 - The Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP) of BBB National Programs brought Sonobi, Inc., a leading advertising technology developer and digital advertiser, into compliance with the Digital Advertising Alliance’s (DAA) Self-Regulatory Principles for online interest-based advertising. 

Following a consumer complaint regarding ineffective opt-out experiences despite using industry-provided tools, DAAP investigated Sonobi's practices. The inquiry revealed that Sonobi is engaged in interest-based advertising (IBA) collection across non-affiliate websites, but that its technology did not respect opt-out signals as intended. Additionally, Sonobi’s privacy policy lacked a statement aligning with OBA self-regulatory principles in its section on opting out of Interest-Based Advertising.

DAAP conducted testing of Sonobi’s advertising technology, which revealed consistent overwriting of opt-out cookies, disregarding user preferences across multiple tests and devices indicating the ongoing IBA tracking despite user opt-outs, even after users set preferences via DAA and Network Advertising Initiative tools. Sonobi also shared user profile cookie contents with third-party IBA companies via cookie syncing servers, compromising opt-out choices. 

In response to DAAP’s inquiry, Sonobi immediately conducted a review of its compliance with the DAA Principles to identify areas that needed strengthening. Sonobi discovered an error in its advertising technology that affected the opt-out logic and resulted in Sonobi servers overwriting previously established opt-out preferences. 

Sonobi promptly corrected the error in their server’s response and DAAP found that Sonobi’s opt-out cookies now operate properly, allowing users to set an opt-out preference that remains and prevents further collection by Sonobi regardless of subsequent browsing activity. Sonobi also added a statement of adherence to the DAA Principles in its privacy policy. 

DAAP is satisfied with Sonobi’s response and its commitment to transparency and consumer choice, reflected by its expeditious action to rectify the matter. 

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of DAAP decisions, visit the DAAP Decisions and Guidance webpage.