Ethical Guidelines Practiced by The Advertisers Guild for Operation in Virtual Worlds

Forward

The Advertisers Guild (TAG) believes in the power and expansive future of virtual world advertising. By this belief, it is understood that to have three dimensional, online, virtual world platforms reach their full potential, people are the key. Be they people working towards commercial oriented goals or those driven by the free spirit of creativity and exploration, everyone is vital, as it is the combined minds which have wrought the online experience we all enjoy today. Taking this view, TAG follows strict ethical guidelines design to protect guild members, clients of the guild and most importantly the everyday virtual world user.

Basic Principles

A. Strong respect and consideration for all users of virtual world environments. This principle is further strengthened by our continual goals of listening to the community as TAG guild members are part of the community.

B. Belief in all users’ privacy by fully disclosing methods of data collection, types of information provided to the clients of TAG and by not providing collected data to third parties.

C. Strict adherence to following governmental laws and the Terms of Service (TOS), as provided by the virtual world platforms, in which TAG operates.

A. Popular Issues of Concern to Virtual World Users

a. With distributed advertising displays located in shared areas, TAG expresses an open interest in working with neighboring land owners towards relocation of an ad display to a more agreeable location when necessary.

b. TAG Network Operators will never extort money or other forms of compensation by selling locations at excessive prices or other adversarial management actives related to ad displays.

c. TAG Network Operators will only display content that is acceptable for general audiences.

d. TAG understands that current advertisement formats may not fit harmoniously into local surroundings, because of this TAG is actively researching ways of solving the technical problems presented by variable format advertisements displays.

e. TAG does not practice aggressive marketing techniques. Including in-world advertising methods such as use of wide area audio playback, excessive particle generation and unrequested sending of text, landmarks, objects and other forms of undesired, unsolicited interaction.

B. Respect of Privacy

a. Complete, accessible, and straightforward disclosure of all parties’ intent regarding data collection and usage is essential. Data should not be brokered or sold without consent (or notice and choice) of all parties involved, including the consumer and the advertiser. Both the consumer and the advertiser will be made aware, through clear notices, of all parties involved in data collection and sharing.

C. Compliance to Guidelines of Governments and Online Platforms of Operation

a. TAG believes in following the Terms of Service (TOS) and other policies & guidelines set forth by the virtual world platforms owners and operators in which TAG operates.

b. Additional efforts, beyond the platform’s TOS and additional policies, are made to work with the virtual world platform operators and developers in an effort to best incorporate services provided by TAG with least impact on the platform and its users.

c. TAG and the advertising networks maintained by TAG members will follow all local, state and country laws within their area of operation.

Conclusion

While it is not possible to fully cover all ethically driven situations that may occur from participating in an ever changing, swiftly moving frontier such as virtual world platforms, TAG and its members make every effort to care about and consider the outcomes brought about by the guidelines TAG follows. As it goes with any consumer-based industry, reaching people not using people becomes what is truly important.