whats an opt-out policy

What's an Opt-out Policy?

"Opting out" in a legal sense means the same as it does in an everyday sense - you are choosing to no longer participate in something.

Not all business models are required by law to provide an opt-out method for customers.

(1) Link to https://termsfeed.com/privacy-policy/generator/

Most businesses choose to include the Opt-out Policy required in their Privacy Policy agreements (1).

Platforms

(2) Link to https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business

(3) Link to https://www.ftc.gov/

Email marketing

This law is known as CAN-SPAM (2) (Controlling the Assault of

Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003) and is

enforced by the FTC (3) (Federal Trade Commission) in the

United States.

To be compliant with CAN-SPAM, each commercial email must have the following aspects:

A working unsubscribe mechanism that’s easily visible and noticeable by customers, Accurate and relevant “From” lines and subject lines, and A physical address present.

Remarketing platforms like Google AdWords, AdRoll and Perfect Audience all provide Privacy Policies where they require users of their

services to update their own Privacy Policies to inform their customers that remarketing is taking place, as well as provide a method for

customers to opt-out of remarketing if they desire.

Remarketing

(4) Link to https://www.google.com/settings/u/0/ads/authenticated

Google spells out in and in your Privacy Policy includes “information about how your visitors can opt out of Google’s use of cookies by

visiting Google’s Ads Settings (4).”

(5) Link to https://termsfeed.com/blog/caloppa-california-online-privacy-protection-act/

(6) Link to https://termsfeed.com/blog/gdpr-eu-general-data-protection-regulation/

Analytics

In the United States, CalOPPA (5) (The California Online Privacy Protection Act) requires this, and in Europe, the Data Protection

Directive (6) regulates this. Other countries also have similar laws with similar requirements.

Any other sort of business model that provides a platform where other businesses can collect and use personal information should have Terms and Conditions in place that require these their

customers to include an opt-out method and/or policy in their own Privacy Policies.

Other types of platforms

Examples of Opt-out Policies

(7) Link to http://www.ebay.com/

Emails from eBay ask recipients if they don’t want to receive emails from eBay (7) and provide a link to click if the recipient

wishes to be removed from the mailing list.

Examples from email

(8) Link to https://www.kissmetrics.com/

(9) Link to https://www.kissmetrics.com/privacy/

(10) Link to https://www.kissmetrics.com/privacy/#controls

Kissmetrics (8) includes information in its Privacy Policy (9) that tells users what information is collected, how that information is used, and

then provides a link for User Privacy Controls (10) where users can find “information for opting out of these communications.”

Examples from Analytics platforms

(11) Link to https://www.adroll.com/

(12) Link to https://app.adroll.com/optout/safari

(13) Link to http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/

AdRoll (11) places a link in the footer of its website that lets a user adjust ad preferences. This makes it very convenient and noticeable for users who wish to opt out either fully or partially from the AdRoll services.

A specific AdRoll opt-out link (12) is provided, as well as a link to the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out tool (13).

Examples from remarketing