Facing a growing number of different state privacy laws, the Association of National Advertisers and 4A’s launched an initiative that aims to persuade federal lawmakers to pass a national data law that would override state laws, reports Publishers Daily.

“We have spent years waiting for the federal government to do something,” Marla Kaplowitz, president and CEO of the 4A’s told MediaPost Monday.

“We worry that that if we don’t get to federal data privacy legislation, we’re in big trouble,” she added.

The new Responsible Privacy in Advertising Initiative expects to also update an industry self-regulatory code by the first quarter of 2024. The ad groups plan to then seek widespread compliance with the new code, states Publishers Daily, and “will likely argue to Congress that a federal privacy law should allow advertisers to harness data in ways permitted by the updated code.

“The new code is expected to largely align with a 2019 proposal to Congress by Privacy for America — an umbrella group of ad associations that includes not only the 4A’s and Association of National Advertisers but also the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Network Advertising Initiative.”

More here.