Internet advertising group launches campaign to educate consumers about online privacy

Web ad group launches privacy education campaign

WASHINGTON — A group of leading Internet publishers and digital marketing services is trying to educate consumers about how they are tracked and targeted for online pitches.

The Internet Advertising Bureau on Thursday unveiled its “Privacy Matters” Web site. The site explains how Internet marketers track where people go and what they do online and then mine that data to serve up targeted ads. The practice, known as behavioral advertising, has raised concerns among privacy watchdogs and lawmakers in Congress.

A number of IAB members plan to run banner spots on their Web pages linking people back to the Privacy Matters site. Those include Internet-only players including Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. and traditional media outlets such as Walt Disney Co. and The New York Times Co.