All the important behavioural advertising terms explained.
Advertising Network |
Entities that connect advertisers to Websites that they want to host advertisements, otherwise known as: ad network.
Associated |
Entities will be “Associated” in this Guideline if they are Associated Entities within the meaning of s50AAA of the Corporations Act (Cth) 2001
Associated Website |
A Website that is owned by a Company or Associated Entity.
Cookie |
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers downloaded on to your computer when you access certain websites. Cookies allow a website to recognise a user’s computer. A cookie itself does not contain or collect information. Cookies are used in behavioural advertising to identify users who share a particular interest so that they can be served more relevant adverts. Otherwise known as: HTTP cookie or browser cookie
Contextual advertising |
Is advertising that is targeted based on the content of the webpage being viewed, but does not include advertising targeted through the use of Third Party OBA. For example if a Web User goes to a travel webpage they are served an advertisement for luggage or travel insurance. Contextual advertising can also occur for searches through Search Engines. For example if a consumer searches on travel on a Search Engine and the results displayed include a travel advertisement.
Display Advertising |
Graphical adverts displayed when users visit a particular website. These are usually in the form of ‘banners’ or a video. Otherwise known as: web banners or banner advertising
Entity |
An entity that handles, collects or uses OBA Data.
Geo-targeting |
Means the serving of content or advertising specific to the geographic location of the server through which the IP address is served.
Online behavioural advertising (or OBA) |
The collection and use of OBA Data to serve advertising based on pre-defined interest categories. No Personal Information is collected or used for OBA. OBA does not include Contextual Advertising (based on the subject-matter of the web page on which the advertisement is served), customer profile advertising (based on the personal information of an individual user) or Geo-targeting.
OBA Data |
Data on web browsing activity of an internet-enabled device which allows the device to be added to one or more pre-defined interest categories.
Personal Information |
This is information that, either by itself or in conjunction with other information, can uniquely identify an individual. Examples of personally identifiable information include a name, street address, email address or telephone number but can also include attitudes and preferences. Personal Information is defined in the Australian Privacy Act.
Related Entities |
Entities that a Web User would be reasonably likely to regard as closely related by product, branding or some other apparent way.
Related Websites |
A Website that is owned by a Related Entity.
Retargeting |
Is a form of online targeted advertising by which online advertising is delivered to consumers based on previous Internet actions that did not in the past result in a conversion to a transaction. Also known as behavioural search retargeting, remarketing or simply, retargeting.
Search Engine |
Is a software program that searches and retrieves data from the Internet based on a query by the Web User of the Internet enabled device.
Signatories |
Those companies that collect and use online data for behavioural advertising and have signed up to the Best Practice Guideline for Online Behavioural Advertising. Otherwise known as: signatory companies
Signatories have six months from the launch of the Best Practice Guideline to implement and comply with the requirements.
Targeted Advertising |
Advertising that is specifically aimed at a particular segment of users based on factors such as demographics or behaviour. Otherwise known as: customised or personalised advertising
Third Party OBA |
OBA served to an Internet-enabled device on a Website based on the browsing history of the device on Websites that are not Associated Websites or Related Websites.
URL |
Uniform Resource Locator.
Web browser |
Software that retrieves and collects information resources and arranges and displays the results in a standardized form on an Internet enabled device. Examples include Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Opera.
Web User |
A person using the Internet.
Website |
A collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed relative to a common URL, often consisting of only the domain name (or, in rare cases, the IP address) and the root path (‘/’) in an Internet Protocol-based network. A Website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network.