Evidon attacks WSJ for Engaging in Journalism: Self-Reg Industry Group Shows inability to understand privacy

If we needed additional evidence that the online ad lobby doesn't understand and respect the privacy concerns of consumers, all you need to do is read the report in Paidcontent on the attack of WSJ journalist Julia Angwin by Evidon's CEO.  It reported that "Evidon CEO Scott Meyer suggested that the tone of the WSJ series about digital privacy, called “What They Know,” was over the top and inflammatory. “When you use words like ‘surveillance’ and ‘spying,’ it freaks people out,” Meyer said to Julia Angwin, one of the WSJ reporters who has worked on the series. “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be here,” he said, referring to the panel of behavioral advertising companies that he was on, which Angwin was moderating."  Paidcontent also explained that the criticism of Angwin led by Evidon and others [its emphasis] "reflects the perception of advertisers and many online service providers that at this particular moment, the privacy debate has become very driven by media coverage, and by the WSJ in particular."

It appears Mr. Meyer has confused the messenger from the message.  After all, the WSJ reported the facts of the loss of privacy from online marketing practices--documented by EU policy experts and advocates such as CDD, EPIC, EFF, World Privacy Forum and too many others to mention.  This attack on Angwin was designed to intimidate a serious journalist and her news organization.  Anyone who has examined Evidon and the flimsy self-regulatory scheme concocted to thwart consumer privacy safeguards knows it rests on a digital house of cards.  We have already told both the EU and the FTC (and the Hill) to reject Evidon and its approach.  The unprofessional criticism by Meyer of Angwin demonstrates the serious disconnect of industry leaders to address the privacy debate.  Something we will bring up next month in Brussels when US and EU consumer groups formally meet about privacy policy with officials from both governments.  We will remind them of the WSJ series, and the online ad industry's view of journalism.