The Online Trust Alliance is an initiative within the Internet Society (ISOC), a global non-profit with the mission to promote the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world. OTA’s mission is to enhance online trust, user empowerment and innovation through convening multi-stakeholder initiatives, developing and promoting best practices, ethical privacy practices and data stewardship. Formed 25-years ago, ISOC focuses on the pillars of expanding access and promoting online trust. ISOC facilitates open development of standards, protocols, administration, and the technical infrastructure of the Internet, 2) Serves as a focal point for cooperative efforts to promote the Internet as a positive tool to benefit all people throughout the world and 3) Provides management and coordination for on-strategy initiatives and outreach efforts in humanitarian, educational, societal, and other contexts.
Formed as an informal industry working group in 2005, in 2007 OTA was recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a501c6 trade organization. In 2012 the IRS re-classified OTA as a 501c3 charitable organization. OTA is now an initiative within the Internet Society (ISOC). Effective October 2017, the OTA as a free standing and independent organization was formally dissolved with the majority of assets transferring to ISOC.
