Data Privacy

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 CMO, 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.

Nativo’s founder, Justin “JC” Choi, checks in post-acquisition to share how his tech is helping power Life360’s new advertising business.

Yes/no binary logic was the right tool for programmatic. But autonomous AI agents can evaluate 10 million impressions per second, combining data from hundreds of sources, and human-defined targeting logic can no longer keep pace.

As companies rush to roll out “helpful” AI bots, they’re inadvertently giving those agents broad access to sensitive data and opening the door to leaks.

A 2004 statute prevents owning enough TV stations to reach 39% of households. But without the scale afforded to other digital content companies, local TV is at a competitive disadvantage.

Why influencer marketing is all the rage; Target forays into ChatGPT ads; and Paramount Skydance’s difficult week.

Google faces another antitrust investigation; Americans want free, ad-supported news; and the K-shaped economy dings mass-market manufacturers.

ChatGPT users will start seeing ads this week; is our entire economy structured around bothering consumers?; and the FTC’s investigation into media credibility groups continues.

Efforts to police children’s data online are running up against the limits of decades-old privacy laws, such as COPPA.

Ad operations don’t always get easier when a publisher has a strong first-party data foundation to build on. In some cases, the strength of the underlying data can complicate monetization decisions. Ancestry can attest to that.

For most of the last decade, privacy compliance lived in a gray zone. Companies could point to a cookie banner, update a policy and reasonably believe they were doing enough. Not anymore.

Former Texas privacy enforcer Tyler Bridegan breaks down how regulators decide which companies to target – and how a little common sense can keep you off their radar.

The year ahead in commerce, with insights from the NRF Big Show conference, where retailers congregate every January. Plus, the 2026 privacy policy cheat sheet.

Human-made creative is in again; The Atlantic accuses Google of (another) monopoly; and it turns out brands like to have a say in their sponsorships.

From afar, it looks like Google had a rough year in antitrust court. But zoom in a bit and it becomes clear that the past year went about as well as Google could have hoped for.

Publishers can reach relevant audiences at scale and with greater specificity through Optable’s new planner agent.

What’s one data privacy shift or regulation that will most reshape digital advertising in 2026 – and who will be most unprepared for it?

This year, programmatic companies faced tough decisions about privacy, awkward acquisitions and the cookie die-off that never quite happened.