Zillow updates sites, apps after watchdog flags ad disclosure gaps

BBB National Programs’ Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP) has worked with Zillow Group to bring several of the company’s major brands into compliance with industry rules governing interest-based advertising.

DAAP said it initiated a routine review of Zillow.com and detected third-party tracking activity used for targeted advertising.

That prompted a broader examination of Zillow Group’s other consumer platforms — including Trulia, StreetEasy and HotPads — across both desktop sites and mobile applications.

According to DAAP, the review uncovered inconsistent adherence to the Digital Advertising Alliance’s transparency requirements.

Some sites lacked the required enhanced notice, such as a prominent link explaining interest-based advertising practices and opt-out tools. Other pages contained broken links or were missing statements affirming compliance with Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) principles, the watchdog said.

DAAP also observed third-party collection of precise location data through the Zillow mobile app before formally contacting the company.

The program said that activity had stopped by the time its inquiry began — and Zillow Group later confirmed it does not collect or process precise location information by default.

In response, Zillow Group undertook an extensive assessment of its digital properties and coordinated with DAAP on steps to address each compliance gap.

Website changes

To meet enhanced-notice requirements under the DAA’s Self-Regulatory Principles, Zillow Group implemented several updates across its web platforms. Those included:

• Adding “Ad Choices” links in the website footers for Zillow, Trulia, HotPads and StreetEasy that direct users to the “Third-Party Tracking and Interest-Based Advertising” section of the company’s privacy notice.
• Updating its Website Privacy Notice to prominently instruct users: “To learn more about how Zillow uses interest-based advertising — and to manage your ad choices — please review the ‘Third-Party Tracking & Interest-Based Advertising’ section of our Privacy Notice below and visit our Privacy Portal.”
• Expanding disclosures to describe third-party tracking tools, provide opt-out resources developed by the advertising industry, and affirm the company’s adherence to DAA principles.

Mobile app updates

Because Zillow’s mobile apps allow third parties to collect unique identifiers used for targeted advertising, the company also had to comply with cross-app data provisions in the DAA’s Mobile Guidance.

To meet those standards, Zillow Group:

• Added a prominent link to IBA disclosures and its privacy portal at the top of its Privacy Notice and within in-app settings.
• Ensured app-store listings now link directly to the enhanced-notice language.
• Added “Ad Choices” links inside settings menus across all Zillow, Trulia, HotPads and StreetEasy apps on both iOS and Android.

Zillow Group completed these revisions in consultation with DAAP, which said the changes brought the company’s digital properties in line with DAA self-regulatory expectations.