Phorm Welcomes Turkish Behavioural Ad Rules

Online ad targeting specialist Phorm has welcomed new behavioural advertising laws introduced by the Turkish regulator, which it says 'reduce unfair competition' while having little effect on its business in the country it hopes will finally bring it a profit.

Phorm launched the Turkish operation in July, following an agreement with major ISP TTNET, and by the following month was declaring the initial stages a big success, for the expansion of which it was raising £7m ($10.8m). After years of looking for a return on its very substantial investments, and starts in the UK, Korea, Brazil and Romania, the company said in its October results announcement that it was approaching a 'defining moment' with the Turkish operation on course to make the group 'profitable during the next financial year'.

In the latest Operating Update, Phorm said Turkey's BTK - which produced the guidelines after a review of the methods of another personalised content and advertising service, Gezinti, had 'brought clarity' to the country's online ad market by regulating the way in which operators can get opt-in approval for ads. Phorm says it 'strongly supports the use of an opt-in process' in this previously unregulated area of Turkish commerce.

In its own system, Phorm reiterates that 'only users consenting to the service are profiled and only ever on an anonymous basis' - and it believes the new guidelines will 'push all targeted advertising providers to use the same high standards thus reducing unfair competition in the market while increasing consumer protection.' Meanwhile it has updated its own invitation process specifically to match the BTK's wordings, and believes the changes and the announcement will have 'no significant impact on its commercial prospects in Turkey'.

The company, which has over 140 employees and contractors, also said today it had signed a major agreement with one of its publishing partners, expected to further accelerate commercial progress.

Web site: www.phorm.com .