We received word this morning of the formation of a coalition of associations, if you will, whose joint purpose will be the establishment of a set of principles for companies in the online advertising business. The promise of this new group of groups, as yet unnamed, will be to develop a set of guidelines for the use of behavioral monitoring tools.

And it's obvious from the get-go that a message is being set to the incoming administration, which could only possibly be more pro-active about consumer protection policies than the current one. It's a very polite message, but what it boils down to is, please, incoming FTC chairperson, leave us alone and let us take care of our own affairs.

Interactive Advertising Bureau President and CEO Randall Rothenberg made that point pretty clear in a statement this morning: "Effective self-regulation of interactive advertising will help ensure that our industry can continue to evolve and innovate, offering consumers what they want when they want it. The value of online advertising to consumers and businesses cannot be understated, particularly in these challenging economic times. We want to be certain that we demonstrate the value exchange to the public that comes from online advertising. Having the support of our colleagues across the business community on these core issues is critical to the IAB and its members."

In case you didn't see the formula there: Self-regulation = innovation. Randall's group will be joined by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the Association of National Advertisers, the Direct Marketing Association, and the Council of Better Business Bureaus.