Privacy & Identity: Why It Matters

Why it matters — Identity (ID) Solutions are the hottest topic in advertising in response to third-party cookie deprecation and the reduced availability of IDFA. This overview explains the what, why, and how, including 1st party vs. cross-domain ID solutions, the data they use, and the targeting and measurement options they enable for marketers.

Why it matters — Addressability is in for a significant change with the deprecation of third-party cookies. Advertisers need to understand their addressability options and build their advertising plans to account for a portfolio of solutions.

Why it matters — Colorado's Governor signed into law the "Colorado Privacy Act" (CPA), which, among other things, requires companies to give consumers a universal mechanism to opt-out of targeted advertising, sales of data, and more with just one click. However, publishers, marketers, and vendors are concerned that the requirements may conflict with other state's laws and existing standards. In other words, each law and guideline means a new build for various technical standards even though industry opt-outs already exist with new standards coming. Over the next few years, we'll see confusion while the industry aligns policies, practices, and technical standards to meet various state and global requirements. Without alignment, it's nearly impossible for a multi-sided marketplace of various players to collect, share, and use data in different ways to work together.

Why it matters — The race for tech giants to earn consumer trust is heating up as regulators worldwide create laws that protect consumers' data online. Tech giants are signaling their desire to leverage their first party relationships with consumers while consumers are choosing options that mean a decrease in the effectiveness of attribution-led advertising. This combination will force the industry in a new direction with massive change. There will be new winners and losers. The publishers and advertisers that adopt new ways of delivering ads to audiences and measuring results in a privacy-centric manner with adtech partners ready for the future will not only survive this shift but will see outsized gains.

Why it matters — The ability to measure ad effectiveness across sites is the backbone of traditional online display advertising. But measurement through attribution is advertising's supernova, and its elimination might result in advertisers only funding a small number of sites. While each browser comes at privacy differently, they all are moving to isolate a person's activity. So, no cross-site linking of individual's ad exposure and conversion and increasing difficulty for brands buying ads across the web and smaller sites are likely to lose advertising support. We'll see a new web emerge from these changes and new ways for brands to measure success. Advertisers and publishers will need to take action early to better prepare for the future.

Why it matters — The ongoing cliffhanger involving Google and regulators continues to keep marketers transfixed and questioning how a resolution will change the industry. Plans to eliminate third-party cookies -- originally announced in 2019 -- have been delayed two more years, with a 2023 target date for Chrome to complete the phase-out. As the UK’s CMA investigates whether the deprecation of third-party cookies poses anti-competition risk, Google has offered numerous carrot sticks -- more delays, promises not to favor its own systems, and a 60-day notice before deprecating the cookies — to resolve the matter. With numerous regulators still debating how to successfully enact these measures, the advertising community, including TripleLift, are pushing forward with proposed solutions of their own to ensure consumers’ privacy rights are protected.