Privacy in Ad Tech

The Ad Tech space is going through several changes, both from a regulatory and technological standpoint. Privacy is being given priority by companies as well as legislators due to the growing regulations and awareness around the world.

Do you have consent?

Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, introduced in 2021, fundamentally shifted the mobile advertising landscape by enabling "do not track" by default and requiring app developers to obtain explicit user consent before tracking activities. The opt-in model has caused quite a stir in the advertising landscape as marketers are concerned about ways to track users on these iOS devices, driving the industry toward privacy-first advertising strategies and alternative measurement solutions.

What about third-party cookies and tracking technology?

The Ad Tech industry is rapidly moving beyond traditional third-party cookies and other persistent tracking technologies. With major browsers already curtailing or blocking these methods, and Google's ongoing deprecation of third-party cookies in Chrome as part of its Privacy Sandbox initiative, the landscape for audience targeting and measurement is fundamentally changing. This shift necessitates a pivot towards privacy-preserving alternatives, including leveraging high-quality first-party data, implementing contextual advertising strategies, and utilizing secure data clean rooms for collaborative insights. Organizations must adapt by redesigning their advertising and measurement frameworks to thrive in an ecosystem where user privacy and consent are paramount, moving away from reliance on legacy tracking mechanisms.

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Regulatory Landscape

While Big Tech is taking new initiatives toward a more privacy-friendly digital experience, lawmakers have also been proposing measures to increase transparency with regard to the data of individuals. Regulators in California and many other jurisdictions now treat certain targeted advertising and cross-context behavioral advertising as the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information, which triggers specific disclosure, consent, and opt-out obligations. Enforcement actions increasingly focus on the use of cookies, pixels, SDKs, and other tracking technologies, requiring clear explanations of how data is used and easy ways for individuals to opt out or limit that use.

Frameworks such as IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) remain important for standardizing how consent and legitimate interest signals are captured and shared in the Ad Tech ecosystem. However, cookie consent only pertains to website visits and does not offer compliance when private data is obtained from any other method, like email, text messages, telemarketing, voice control, audio recording, video surveillance, facial recognition, or IoT devices. In such circumstances, having a system to identify the source of data and its consent will ensure compliance and fulfillment of data subject requests.

While organizations rely on cookie compliance software for managing data related to cookies, they don’t meet all the requirements that are needed for compliance in the present regulatory landscape. Organizations need comprehensive enterprise consent management tools that serve as a holy grail for managing user data and consent. Additionally, it should also be easier to locate and act upon user data when needed.

We have several helpful tools and resources to help you understand and navigate the evolving Ad Tech space.

Our Core Beliefs

Data is an asset for organizations.
Companies should be both data-wise and privacy-conscious: It is indeed possible to both use data to personalize experiences for customers and ensure privacy at the same time.
Privacy compliance is complex. But it can be simplified and managed with the right processes and technology.
Sustainable privacy programs require robust Information Governance. Data needs to be governed and managed from creation to deletion.