Data Privacy

Just because a company doesn’t see itself as a data broker when it looks in the mirror doesn’t mean regulators would agree.

The DOJ targets another Google Search ad scam; ICE relies on “advertising intelligence” and support from Palantir to ramp up deportations; and TikTok now lets you book vacations in its app.

If a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound? And if a UID2 doesn’t work, does anyone notice? Inside a UID2 mix-up that has a publisher questioning the value of alt IDs. Then, what Kochava’s settlement with the FTC means for any ad tech company that handles location data.

Ashley Casovan, managing director of the IAPP’s AI Governance Center, on how AI is reshaping who does governance work and how.

POSSIBLE is over the AI hype; real estate is going tech; and Snap dips its toes into branded agents.

Congress is taking another swing at a federal privacy framework. Wonder what the odds are on Kalshi.

Whose Mess Is This? One unwritten rule for advertising and analytics platforms is to never make dramatic overnight changes that impact a customer’s day-to-day life. Quiet overhauls can wreak havoc in the background on identity graphs, targeting capabilities, software plugins, server setups, etcetera. But the customer UI usually exists at a safe remove, like the […]

Data brokers will need to process consumers data-deletion requests every 45 days starting August 1, 2026, or face heavy fines. 

If you want to see a privacy lawyer who works in ad tech roll their eyes and heave a deep sigh, then speak aloud this acronym: “CIPA.”

A proposed standard under discussion at W3C aims to redefine how ad effectiveness is measured across the web. This proposal would centralize measurement of ad effectiveness under the control of Google, Apple and Meta.

Reward Apps faces data broker allegations; Apple bolsters its advertising business; Comments are all the rage in social media marketing.

Law firm Keller Postman is leading mass arbitration suits against Google, seeking advertiser damages for alleged monopoly overpricing. The total available pot is a quarter-trillion dollars.

Surprise! Platforms ignore users opting out of ad tracking; the marketing machine claims credit for Geese’s popularity; and Meta’s MAGA-friendly moderation makes an unforced error.

In-store audio ads grow, but attribution and headphones raise doubts; Hidden fees persist as drip pricing draws scrutiny; World Cup ad costs surge.

AI is only as good as the data that fuels it. In advertising, however, that foundation is often flawed.

When Apple launched AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) in 2021, access to deterministic identifiers fell sharply as roughly 80% of users opted out of tracking. User-level feedback loops became sparse and biased, and iOS performance marketing shifted into a different measurement environment under SKAdNetwork (SKAN). Apple’s AdAttributionKit (AAK) later delayed postbacks, compressed conversion values and set privacy thresholds that made signal availability dependent on campaign structure and scale.

If you want to know what privacy regulators think about online advertising, it’s not a mystery. Just listen to what they’re saying.

The industry has spent years debating third-party cookies, but AI has settled the debate. First-party data isn’t just preferred; it’s structurally necessary. And the capital is already moving.

We open with insights from attending a duo of privacy conferences this week, the IAPP Global Summit and IAB Public Policy & Legal Summit, including one reason regulators are paying more attention to data privacy: Their constituents consider it a “kitchen table” issue. Then, we turn to the mash-up of retail media and sports, which is opening up new opportunities across media and ad tech.

Sonia Chung, Boathouse’s new CSO, wants to help the agency (and the industry at large) take full advantage of its data.

Enjoy this weekly comic strip from AdExchanger.com that highlights the digital advertising ecosystem … 

IAPP’s Global Summit in DC was a reminder that AI is moving fast – and judges, privacy lawyers and practitioner are racing to keep up.

An upcoming paper from CIMM doesn’t just demonstrate that differences in media quality can be measured. It also argues that tying media value to short-term outcomes has perpetuated longstanding industry challenges.

Netflix’s MLB streaming is heavy on the ads; the anti-AI movement gains traction; the court dismissed X’s antitrust allegations.

The NewFronts, digital video’s week of splashy sales pitches, is in full swing. Our reporters share what they learned on the ground. Plus: What can ad tech learn from Data, a new off-Broadway play?

The play “Data” sparks conversations about AI, surveillance, data tracking and predictive modeling. The ad tech world should be paying attention.

Hotel chain Red Roof is using Zeta’s new voice-activated AI agent to guide its campaign creation, deployment timing and audience development.

Judge tosses Helena World Chronicle case against Google; Apple will introduce ads to Maps; EU broadcasters push DMA “gatekeeper” label for Big Tech in CTV.

FTC Commissioner Mark Meador struck a playful note at Marketecture Live with “Private Eyes” by Hall & Oates as his walk‑on music — before diving into the far less playful realities of cookie opt‑outs and self‑regulation.

The US government wants to use digital ad infrastructure for the exact type of surveillance the industry’s critics have long warned about. We should have seen this coming.