• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, July 18, 2011

Evidon is rolling out a new program to "certify" some of its ad-network clients that use the company to power online privacy icons.

At launch, 10 of the 40-plus ad networks and demand-side providers that work with Evidon are participating in the certification program, dubbed GreenLight. Evidon is one of several companies that power the you-are-being-tracked icons intended to inform consumers about online behavioral advertising. DoubleVerify and Truste are also powering the icons.

Networks certified by Evidon must agree to either use Evidon exclusively or on a default basis. They also receive extra training from Evidon about the self-regulatory privacy program. Also, Evidon has vetted their privacy policies. The certification is available to ad networks at no extra charge from Evidon.

The icons, licensed by the umbrella group Digital Advertising Alliance, take users to a page where they can learn more about how companies track people online in order to serve them ads based on the sites they have visited in the past. The icons also take users to pages where they can opt out of receiving targeted ads -- although not necessarily out of data collection.

Scott Meyer, CEO of Evidon, says the GreenLight program is aimed at informing agencies and brands which networks comply with self-regulatory principles. Certified networks have "an additional level of best practices beyond simple compliance with the DAA program," he notes.

Meyer adds that agencies and brands that issue requests for proposals are increasingly asking about privacy practices and whether ad networks are complying with industry self-regulatory standards.

The ad networks and demand-side platforms that participate in Evidon's GreenLight program include 33Across, AdRoll, Akamai, Bizo, Collective Media, ContextWeb, Epsilon, Lotame, Rocket Fuel and Sharethis.