Membership in the NAI has fluctuated greatly over time, and both the organization and its self-regulatory system have been criticized for being ineffective in promoting privacy.

[citation needed] The NAI was formally announced at the Public Workshop on Online Profiling[2] held by the FTC and the Department of Commerce on November 8, 1999.

[4] In May 2001, the NAI released an accompanying website[5] allowing users to more quickly download opt-out cookies for all participating ad networks.

[6] In 2002, the NAI released guidelines for the use of web beacons — small images or pieces of code used to track visiting and traffic patterns, and to install cookies on visitors' machines.

These associations and their members are dedicated to developing effective self-regulatory solutions to consumer choice for web viewing data.

[25] As of January 1, 2016, NAI members engaged in cross-app advertising (CAA) are required to come into compliance with the Mobile App Code.

[30] In 2022, the NAI released Precise Location Information Solution Provider Voluntary Enhanced Standards.

The NAI mandates that member companies provide users a means to opt out of interest-based advertising.

The NAI opt-out tool[33] is a simple web-based utility that allows users to opt out of receiving targeted ads from one, some, or all member companies.

The NAI's self-regulatory principles for online behavioral advertising depend on a model of notice and choice.

As part of these efforts, the NAI provides current information and tools that are easy to understand and use, and the organization’s members donate billions of ad impressions to raise awareness and point consumers to these and other resources.

In addition, NAI requires members to include opt-out tools and comprehensive disclosures on their own websites.

Moreover, NAI companies support the Ad Choices icon, just-in-time notice embedded in or around the advertisements consumers see online.

[36] Since its first review in 2007, however, the World Privacy Forum’s founder has described the NAI improvements “profound,” calling its 2013 Code of Conduct “remarkable” for a number of reasons.

[15] When the NAI published updated principles in 2008, it chose to review member compliance itself, which the Center for Democracy and Technology argued would reduce consumer trust in the organization.