Fast Retailing privacy changes have made advertising disclosures and opt-out tools easier to find across four brands following a review by BBB National Programs. The organization’s Digital Advertising Accountability Program said on October 20, 2026, that the retailer had brought the websites and applicable mobile apps into compliance with industry self-regulatory principles for interest-based advertising.
Key Takeaways
- UNIQLO, GU, Theory and Helmut Lang added dedicated website links to advertising disclosures and choice tools.
- UNIQLO, GU and Theory changed their apps after infinite scrolling obstructed access to privacy links.
- The review concerned industry self-regulatory standards, rather than a government enforcement decision.
Table of Contents
- Fast Retailing privacy review identified hard-to-find disclosures
- Dedicated website links and app settings replace buried notices
- Industry standards define the scope of the changes
- Conclusion
Fast Retailing privacy review identified hard-to-find disclosures
The Digital Advertising Accountability Program, or DAAP, initially examined UNIQLO and GU through routine monitoring and observed collection by third parties known to engage in interest-based advertising. It expanded its review to Theory and Helmut Lang websites and the mobile apps operated by UNIQLO, GU and Theory.
DAAP's Fast Retailing review found that the websites lacked clear, prominent access to information about advertising-related data sharing and mechanisms for opting out. Much of the required information was already in the privacy policies, but it was scattered rather than grouped into an identifiable disclosure.
The distinction was accessibility, not simply whether a privacy policy existed. Consumers could have difficulty locating the information needed to understand advertising data use and exercise their choices.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| UNIQLO and GU mobile policies | Added links to advertising disclosures and DAA consumer choice tools at the top. |
| UNIQLO and GU app-store listings | Updated iOS and Android privacy links to direct users to the top of their privacy notices. |
| Theory mobile policy | Added a link to the DAA’s consumer choice tools. |
| Helmut Lang | Does not offer a mobile application. |
Dedicated website links and app settings replace buried notices
All four brands added an “Ad Choices” link to every website page’s footer, separate from the general privacy-policy link. Each link leads directly to a dedicated section explaining interest-based advertising, stating adherence to the Digital Advertising Alliance’s principles and providing access to a consumer choice mechanism.
The dedicated sections also explain how consumers can withdraw consent. UNIQLO and GU added shortcuts at the top of their privacy policies to take readers directly to those sections.
On mobile, UNIQLO, GU and Theory removed infinite scrolling that had prevented users from readily reaching menu or footer privacy links. They also added “Ad Choices” to app settings, providing continuing access to disclosures and choice mechanisms after download.
Industry standards define the scope of the changes
DAAP operates within BBB National Programs and enforces the Digital Advertising Alliance’s self-regulatory privacy principles. Its findings address transparency and consumer choice for interest-based advertising; they should not be read as a government ruling on compliance with every applicable privacy law.
The announced changes concern how users find disclosures and exercise advertising choices. They do not amount to an announcement that the brands have stopped interest-based advertising.
Conclusion
The changes were presented as implemented, not proposed. Consumers can now look for the dedicated website “Ad Choices” links and, for the three brands with apps, the corresponding settings controls to access advertising disclosures and choice tools.
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