Data + Privacy

The content licensing economy has arrived faster than anyone expected. Microsoft and Amazon have both entered the marketplace business. Venture-backed startups like TollBit and ProRata have built infrastructure for publishers to license their content to LLMs. And, in 2025, AI companies committed an estimated $2.9 billion in licensing fees to a relatively small number of […]

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.

The very concept of AI and its impact on select industries is enough to cause dramatic swings in stock market sectors and wild future-of-work predictions. But when the world’s largest ad agency talks about changing its revenue model – and trots out a real-world client example to back it up – people pay attention. In […]

Take your sunglasses off for this one. Fresh off the POSSIBLE conference in Miami, our reporters debrief on how the marketing industry addressed the subject du jour, AI. Plus: the topics that were conspicuously absent from the conference.

In a largely creative industry like advertising, performance marketing can seem a bit soulless. Algorithms, tracking and optimization can help us reach targets quicker and more efficiently. But the creative used in performance campaigns can often look or feel … off. When there are metrics to hit and placements to fill, creative often takes a […]

Programmatic infighting reached a new peak last fall, as LinkedIn flame wars erupted over transaction IDs. OMD Worldwide Chief Media Officer Ben Hovaness, leader of a new programmatic peacekeeping group, talks through the org’s goal to encourage more conversation and less conflict.

By now, most ad tech professionals should be familiar with California’s data broker registration requirements under the Delete Act.  Any entity that is a “business,” as defined by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and that knowingly collects and sells to third parties the personal information of a consumer with whom the business does not […]

With everything else going on in 2026, at least we don’t have Google’s “Privacy Sandbox” to worry about. The high-profile project is over. Or is it?  Not quite. Now, instead of one browser introducing its own ad features while the others sit back, browser vendors are collaborating to move ads under browser control piece by […]

With RFPs in flux, diverse-owned media companies are finding ways to use their data to improve reach. Plus: Why we’re in retail media’s “potty-training” phase.

Connected TV demand is strong, budgets are growing and premium inventory continues to command attention. Yet, for publishers, the growth of CTV has complicated how deals get done. That’s because CTV never fit cleanly into campaign execution models built for RTB-based trading. Programmatic trading introduced efficiency for commoditized inventory, but CTV has always been defined […]