The Digital IQ Initiative is an important program to help consumers develop the digital life skills they need to successfully navigate the digital world.

For more than 100 years, from small community stores to multinational enterprises, BBB has been on the forefront of positive marketplace change by partnering with leading companies committed to the best practices of business ethics, marketplace excellence, and effective industry self-regulation.

Trust always matters. We are deeply committed to building and advancing a better marketplace, a trusted marketplace for all.

Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.3033 Wilson Boulevard,Suite 600Arlington, VA 22201bbb.org

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Raising America’s Digital IQ

SAVVY SHOPPINGOur first set of materials, Savvy Shopping, provides consumers with the key tools they need to shop wisely and smart online. Internet shopping is booming: more people are now shopping on Cyber Monday than Black Friday and Thanksgiving combined. And Department of Commerce statistics chart the growth of online shopping at a steady and impressive 14 percent plus for each quarter since 2014. Savvy Shopping is divided into four units:

STEERING COMMITTEE

JOIN THE INITIATIVERaising America’s digital proficiency is an important mission. Businesses that believe in this mission are sponsoring our work and sharing in creating and distributing our educational materials. Our current steering committee is comprised of representatives of these committed companies: Acxiom, Adobe, and Nielsen and includes two leading consumer advocates, Pam Dixon, the founder and President of the World Privacy Forum and Dr. Nicole Turner-Lee, Vice President and Chief Research & Policy Officer of Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC). Won’t you join them in working with us to build Americans’ Digital IQ? When consumers understand their digital world, they are empowered to navigate the Internet with confidence, take advantage of its benefits, and steer clear of its risks. Bringing more people online and helping them navigate the digital world successfully will benefit everyone and pay dividends far into the future.

Benefactor – $100,000 and above• Sponsorship of a specific educational module,

as well as company listing on all other materials publicly distributed by Digital IQ

• In-person management briefings by CBBB digital compliance experts, and in-house training for staff

• Strategic guidance offered by CBBB leaders on key digital public policy issues

• Invitation to serve on steering committee• Keynote opportunity at a CBBB event (e.g.,

self-regulatory conference)• Opportunity to participate in webinar on

Digital IQ Initiative

Partner – $50,000 and above• In-person management briefings by CBBB

digital privacy compliance experts, and in-house training for staff

• Strategic guidance offered by CBBB leaders in key digital public policy issues

• Eligibility to serve on steering committee• Webinar on digital policy and compliance

issues• Opportunity to participate as a panelist at a

CBBB event or webinar• Listing on all materials publicly distributed by

Digital IQ

Sponsor – $25,000 and above• Eligibility to serve on steering committee

(2014-2015 only)• Webinar on digital policy and compliance

issues• Listing on all materials publicly distributed by

Digital IQ

Donor – $10,000• Webinar on digital policy and compliance

issues • Listing on all materials publicly distributed by

Digital IQ

Friend – $5,000• Listing on all materials publicly distributed by

Digital IQ

In-Kind Contributor • Listing on all materials publicly distributed by

Digital IQ• Other acknowledgements by arrangement

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

If you are interested in participating in this initiative, please contact Casey Callaway, Director of Marketing (B2B) at ccallaway@council.bbb.org

i. “Search and You Will Find:” teaches consumers how to optimize their search results using various strategies and providing tips for refining search queries and creating advanced searches.

ii. “Getting the Ad-vantage:” explains how personalized advertising works, the advantages of interest-based ads, and tips for opting-out if a consumer is uncomfortable with this type of advertising.

iii. “Sense On and Cents Off:” deals with coupons and loyalty cards, explaining how they work and the pros and cons of participation so consumers can make the choices that are right for them.

IV. “Finding the Products and the Price:” reiterates the main points of the previous units and reminds consumers of the basics of budgeting and the benefits of savvy shopping online.

Savvy Shopping drew on BBB’s experience in consumer and business education and the expertise of our consultant, Carolyn Shanoff, a 25-year veteran of the Federal Trade Commission, who led the Division of Consumer and Business Education in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, with the advice of our Steering Committee.

Savvy shopping will be available on multiple consumer-facing websites, including BBB and Acxiom, as well as those of other partnering companies, regulators, and community intermediaries. They will also be delivered through multiple online channels in the for-profit and non-profit sectors.

THE NEED FOR DIGITAL PROFICIENCYBBB launched Digital IQ because we saw the need to help people build their “digital know-how” — the ability to shop wisely, avoid risks, express preferences, exercise informed choices, and take advantage of the digital world.

There’s no question that the Internet is the gateway to information, opportunity, and entertainment.

The majority of Americans today are hooked on the Internet. People in all walks of life are going to their computers and smartphones to get the news and entertainment they want, share stuff with friends, shop, and find answers to their questions.

Businesses have new and more exciting ways to engage with their customers and find new ones. Federal, state, and local government are offering consumers easy access to information and speeding up everything from paying taxes to renewing a driver’s license.

Educators reach students online who would otherwise have limited access to higher

education or would not attend college at all. Doctors are accessing patient records in real-time, responding quicker to emergencies, and even performing surgery remotely, improving healthcare across the nation.

Despite this high level of digital adoption and the many benefits it can bring, many people’s understanding of the digital world remains limited. They are confused and uneasy when they go online. They do not feel in control of their Internet experience. And ironically, they don’t know how to take advantage of the many tools already out there that would give them greater control. Lack of knowledge also increases the danger that an individual will become a victim of a bad deal, fall for a scam, or download malware.

Digital proficiency is critical, especially for people who need greater access to opportunities, have less mobility, don’t know how to budget wisely or get the best offer out there. They need our help.

OUR MISSIONDigital IQ’s goal is to raise individual’s digital proficiency on critical subjects. Our approach is to offer easy-to access, easy to digest, actionable learning that raises the public’s Digital IQ. We are developing materials designed by experts and geared not only to a general audience, but also to specific groups such as aging consumers, underserved populations, or children and their parents; depending on the subject matter and need.