Washington Post: The Ad Subtractors, Making a Difference

Gary Ruskin's Commercial Alert organization might be dismissed by major advertisers as a nutty, anti-corporate blip, except for the fact that it has been extremely successful in limiting the placement of ads in new places, particularly online.

After a 2001 lawsuit forced most search engines to disclose paid listings, Internet companies began to take notice. Web filter company N2H2 was pressured to stop tracking school surfing behavior.

After having interviewed Ruskin in both 2001 and 2002, I noted Commercial Alert's ambitious pattern of seeking limited initial goals and wedging early successes into broader policy changes. This most recent Washington Post story seems to indicate the pattern continued.

When, in the summer of 2001, Commercial Alert sued many of the major search engines for failing to disclose which listings were paid advertisements, Ruskin told me his group's intent was to get "…search engine companies to adopt clear and conspicuous disclosure for paid listings."

When, in 2002, some sites changed their behavior after the Federal Trade Commission admonished them, Ruskin said he was very pleased. He would not, though, say that his mission was accomplished. He wouldn't comment at the time as to what specific types of online ads were acceptable, instead detailing types of practices he thought were suspect, including various type of profiling, especially the profiling of children.

Commercial Alert's activities have not been limited to online advertising. Alcohol ads on NBC were pulled because of Commercial Alert. "CNN Student News," a television program previously shown in 18,000 schools was pulled.

Today's Post story quotes Ruskin stating the principle behind much of his group's activities, "Advertisers must understand that some places are sacred and therefore off-limits to peddling wares."