Authored by Industry Leaders From Across the Digital Advertising Ecosystem
The Latest Version of the Guide Provides the Most Recent Updates to Support the Digital Advertising Industry in the Transition Period and Beyond
10th March 2022, Brussels: IAB Europe, the leading European-level industry association for the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem, has today released its latest comprehensively updated ‘Guide to the Post-Third-Party Cookie Era’, to enable brands, agencies, publishers, and tech intermediaries prepare for the impending post-third-party cookie era.
The Guide has been developed by experts from IAB Europe’s Programmatic Trading Committee and Post Third-Party Cookie Task Force. It succeeds the second edition of the guide, which was released in February 2022. It provides the latest insights into the many alternative solutions that are being developed to replace third-party cookies when they are depleted in 2023, including context, identity, the use of telco data, and the Google Topics initiative, and expands into new challenge areas including measurement and attribution.
It is clear that innovation around alternatives to third-party cookies continues, and the industry will have multiple solutions available. As such, the Guide continues to help and encourage the industry to keep testing, learning, collaborating and developing across 2022, right through to the newly extended deadline for cookie deprecation in late 2023.
Commenting on this latest work, Lauren Wakefield, Marketing & Industry Programmes Director, IAB Europe said “Although the deadline has been extended to 2023, the digital advertising ecosystem must continue to collaborate, innovate and deliver on the solutions that are outlined in the latest update of the Guide. As the European-level association for digital advertising and marketing, we must continue to help our members embrace these changes, educate the market on what is available and offer support to ensure we create a thriving future for programmatic advertising.”
Explaining the reasons for supporting this initiative, contributors highlighted the integral role of the guide in keeping brands, agencies, and publishers updated on the technological advancements and evolving opportunities available with identity. A new contributor this year is Amobee. Their Head of Growth, EMEA, Piper Heitzler, commented “What's happening in the world at large and more closely within the ad tech industry is a renewed appreciation for the power of collaboration. IAB Europe’s Post Third-Party Cookie Guide is an excellent example of what can be produced when experts from diverse principles, like our own Solutions Engineering lead in EMEA, Zara McDonald, work together to aggregate collective insights that are refined and reviewed by each other's experience and perspectives. A must read for brands and agencies looking to stay up-to-date on technological changes and opportunities in the Identity space."
Rémi Lemonnier Co-founder & President of Scibids, who is also a new contributor this year, continued, "Given the importance of the topic for the industry, we were more than happy to contribute to the update of IAB Europe's Post Third-Party Cookie Guide and share the expertise we have gathered in the past years, building a private by design AI. As marketers navigate this new era of privacy, we are convinced that providing knowledge and clarity will help the industry move forward!"
This was echoed by Tanya Field, Co-Founder and CPO at Novatiq who said, “The updated IAB Europe Guide could not come at a more important time. With protocol updates from the major platforms, lawsuits from privacy campaigners, and continuous industry innovation, the market is at risk of fragmenting, as interoperability challenges hinder growth. It is clear that advertisers and publishers need clarity on the best way forward. This is what the Guide provides and why Novatiq was delighted to contribute towards its creation.”
The extensive Guide provides a comprehensive and complete deep-dive into the following key themes:
Commenting on the depth of knowledge contained within the Guide and the importance of this continued conversation, Chair of the IAB Europe Programmatic Trading Committee and Integral Ad Science’s Head of Programmatic and Publisher Development, Nick Welch, said “Ensuring consumer privacy in digital advertising is essential and the demise of third-party cookies is one such industry initiative that aims to achieve this. Advertisers today must be armed with the right resources to deliver efficient and effective campaigns that meet the needs of consumers and must have the tools available to thrive in a post-cookie world. This Guide has been produced by IAB Europe’s Programmatic Trading Committee in a collaborative effort to include expertise from across the value chain to support brands, agencies and publishers in this new era. It aims to show the latest updates and solutions available, it demonstrates how far we have come and the opportunities we have to continue to move forward together.”
IAB Europe will be continuing the conversation and education around the post third-party cookie era throughout 2022 in a series of workshops, blogs and podcast conversations.
The IAB Europe ‘Guide to the Post-Third-Party Cookie Era’ is available here.
4 March, Brussels, Belgium: IAB Europe confirms it will file an appeal today against the administrative ruling by the Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD) regarding IAB Europe and the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF).
IAB Europe disputes the controversial and novel allegation that it acts as a controller for the recording of TC Strings (the digital signals created to capture data subjects’ choices on how their personal data can be processed), and as a joint controller for the dissemination of TC Strings and other data processing done by TCF participants under the OpenRTB protocol.
The appeal, filed before the Market Court in Belgium (part of the Brussels Court of Appeal), includes a request for suspension of the execution of the decision, which would pause all orders of the APD until a decision on the merits is rendered by the Market Court.
“Immediate enforcement of the decision would deny an appeal of its relevance and effectiveness, and would have irreversible and serious consequences for our organisation”, said Townsend Feehan, IAB Europe CEO.
“Eliminating the grounds on which the APD considers IAB Europe to be a data controller would reduce the TCF to a mere open-source standard without enforceable policies. Paradoxically, this would render ineffective the consumer protection objective that underlies the APD’s jurisdiction, and the apparent reason for which proceedings against IAB Europe exist. We do not believe this is the aim of the law, nor that self-regulatory standards should be weakened because of a misguided interpretation of the law. This is why we are challenging the decision.”
IAB Europe will communicate on the outcome of the request for suspension in the next few weeks.
For further information, please read and download the IAB Europe FAQ Document here.
3 March 2022, Brussels, Belgium – IAB Europe today announced a suspension of all cooperation with IAB Russia and IAB Belarus, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this week and the announcement that Belarus is acting in support of the government of Vladimir Putin.
“We regret taking this step against partner organisations, but the brutality of Russia's unprovoked attack against a sovereign European country gives us no choice but to use every lever at our disposal to increase its isolation,” said IAB Europe CEO Townsend Feehan. “IAB Europe stands with our innocent Ukrainian colleagues in Kiev and elsewhere, who are continuing to work under shocking circumstances.”
About IAB Europe
IAB Europe is the European-level association for the digital marketing and advertising ecosystem. Through its membership of national IABs and media, technology and marketing companies, its mission is to lead political representation and promote industry collaboration to deliver frameworks, standards, and industry programmes that enable business to thrive in the European market.
24 February, Brussels, Belgium - IAB Europe today expressed its solidarity with, and support for, its colleagues in Ukraine and their families. “In the week-to-week cut and thrust of our policy advocacy in Brussels, it is easy to forget why the European Union was created”, said IAB Europe CEO Townsend Feehan. “The events of the past few days are a powerful reminder. We are alarmed and saddened that in 2022, friends and colleagues in a sovereign European country can be confronted with armed conflict and a military invasion of their homeland. We hope and pray for their safety.”
Following the publication of the Decision of the Belgian Data Protection Authority of 2 February 2022 on the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF), many sources have published partial or incorrect information about the scope of that Decision. This information includes guidance from two European data protection authorities (DPAs) advising publishers and others to switch from using the TCF, despite the fact that (i) the Decision is an administrative one that is subject to appeal (see IAB Europe’s announcement in this respect) and (ii) the Belgian DPA gave a period of two months to come up with a plan with corrective measures to remedy alleged non-compliance and an additional six months to implement such measures.
The DPAs making statements in this respect are aware of this, as they have been involved in the decision-making process led by the Belgian DPA and endorsed the remediation period.
IAB Europe wishes to reiterate that the TCF is a voluntary minimum standard created to help publishers establish and document the GDPR legal basis for the processing of users’ personal data by third parties who deliver and measure digital advertising on their sites. The Belgian DPA has not prohibited the TCF, but has instead ordered IAB Europe to introduce additional functionality and propose corrective measures, confirming that the alleged infringements can in its view be remedied. The version of the Framework that emerges from this process will be an even stronger standard.
If publishers, vendors and CMPs wish to adapt their use of the TCF in the meantime, they remain free to do so, and they can in this context take into account the Belgian DPA’s suggestions of additional information disclosures as well as its guidance regarding the use of legitimate interests as a legal ground for profiling.
16th February 2022, IAB Europe, the leading European-level industry association for the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem has introduced a ‘start-up’ membership tier to help foster and showcase innovation across Europe.
The new level of membership is reserved for companies who are verified as a start-up by the National IAB in the market they operate, providing an opportunity for such businesses that are already established in their local market, to expand across Europe.
IAB Europe is keen to provide a platform and voice for innovative businesses in their infancy that are helping to enhance the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem. New and existing members will be able to network to share and spark ideas, solutions and best practices.
Commenting on joining as the first IAB Europe start-up member, Uroš Jojić, President of Brid.tv said: "As a company working on providing publishers with video advertising and monetisation solutions, we believe that joining IAB Europe is the perfect stepping stone toward further developing our technology and improving transparency with our publishers. We are thrilled at the opportunity to be the first to leverage their new startup membership tier, as it is perfect for startups in the digital advertising industry looking for resources and opportunities to scale their businesses."
Townsend Feehan, CEO of IAB Europe, commented on the value of this new membership tier: “IAB Europe's strength comes from its extensive membership of National IABs and corporate organisations. We are always looking for ways to welcome and include new businesses that add value to our industry. Through this new membership tier, we can expand this reach and provide a platform for showcasing European innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Companies that join at this membership level will be able to take advantage of the key benefits of IAB Europe, including access to its wide-ranging industry and policy committees and task forces, the opportunity to speak at owned and partnership events, and assistance with amplifying marketing efforts across IAB Europe’s extensive European network.
For more information on the membership packages and how to join, please visit this page or contact the IAB Europe team at communication@iabeurope.eu
11 February, Brussels, Belgium: IAB Europe confirmed today that it will appeal the Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD)’s administrative ruling regarding IAB Europe and the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) to the Belgian Market Court.
The administrative ruling’s finding that IAB Europe acts as a joint controller for profiling and other data processing done by TCF vendors in the context of OpenRTB is disputed by IAB Europe.
“IAB Europe is a small trade association that has been creating and iterating on a framework for data protection best practices in continual consultation with the authorities. It cannot have been the intention of the European legislator that a body like ours should bear legal responsibility for the data processing activities of an entire industry,” said Townsend Feehan, IAB Europe CEO. “We have no choice but to appeal.”
“We believe the controversial ruling that IAB Europe is a data controller for information processed for TCF purposes is based on a misunderstanding of the facts and a misapplication of the law. This establishes an irrational legal precedent. It will have the perverse effect of discouraging other standard-setting organisations from investing in instruments that aim to protect users and facilitate the exercise of their rights under the GDPR.”
IAB Europe believes appealing is the right decision to avert unintended negative consequences that go well beyond the changes that the APD wants to see made to the TCF, and which could impact the wider digital advertising industry. Notwithstanding, IAB Europe looks forward to working with the APD and other data protection authorities to ensure the TCF’s continuing utility in the market, and with the ultimate aim of having the TCF approved as a transnational GDPR Code of Conduct.
Supervisory authorities from across the European Union were involved in the process that led to the APD’s administrative ruling. While we believe it is unlikely that these authorities will take measures against IAB Europe or any commercial actors using the TCF until a final judicial ruling is rendered, we nevertheless call upon such authorities, in the spirit of EU-wide consistency and legal certainty, to publicly acknowledge that intent. We also believe that any civil litigation that might ensue in other jurisdictions will likely be stayed pending resolution of IAB Europe’s appeal in the Market Court.
Finally, we are aware that certain advocacy organizations are calling upon advertisers to cease using TCF and OpenRTB. We find such a conclusion unfounded, first, because no advertisers are named parties in the Belgian ruling and second, because the APD has not ordered the IAB Europe to discontinue use of TCF pending its submission of a plan to the APD.
For further information, please read and download the IAB Europe FAQ Document here.
Authored by Industry Leaders from Across Europe
Provides Valuable Insights and Key Considerations for In-App Advertising
3rd February, Brussels, Belgium: IAB Europe, the leading European-level industry association for the digital and marketing ecosystem has today released its ‘Guide to In-App Advertising’ to provide an overview of the in-app marketplace, and the ad formats available. The guide also details key changes and challenges we are seeing in the industry with in-app advertising and shares key considerations for buyers in this space.
In-App Advertising is an exciting growth area with Global ad spend reaching $295bn in 2021, providing many opportunities for advertisers today. But as with any new or emerging channel or format, there are still barriers to overcome, including some fundamental industry changes that are affecting digital advertising, such as Apple’s IDFA. The guide has been developed by members of IAB Europe’s Programmatic Trading Committee to help advertisers and publishers to understand the in-app opportunity, the key barriers that need to be addressed, and how to tap into its potential.
Commenting on the role of in-app advertising in the digital ecosystem today, Nick Welch, Chair of IAB Europe’s Programmatic Trading Committee & Head of Programmatic and Publisher Development, Northern Europe, Integral Ad Science said, “With consumers now devoting a third of their waking time to apps all eyes are on the potential that in-app advertising can bring to the ecosystem. But as we move into 2022 and beyond, challenges such as consumer privacy will continue to play a more prominent role in ad targeting, with more support and collaboration needed from the industry to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of in-app campaigns. The guide, written by experts from across the advertising ecosystem, highlights the evolution of, and opportunity for, in-app advertising and encourages the industry to come together to overcome key challenges, including Apple’s IDFA. We encourage all industry stakeholders to read this guide to help maximise the potential that in-app advertising brings.”
Reiterating this point and sharing the value of in-app advertising for brands, Anna Sikora, Client Services Partner, PubMatic said, “With consumers spending more time on their screens than ever before, marketers should focus on building the best possible mobile ad experience and offer formats that mobile users actually want to engage with. In 2021 we have seen more brands investing into the in-app channel, and research shows that shift will continue, with gaming now a central element of the briefs we see from brands.”
Commenting on the value of in-app advertising for publishers, Benjamin Hancock, Global Head of Programmatic Trading at CNN International Commercial said, “In-app advertising has emerged as a key channel enabling publishers to expand their audience and solve a specific challenge around content delivery. In-app users tend to be more engaged with high levels of interaction, enabling high-quality and differentiated products for advertisers. IAB Europe’s ‘Guide to In-App Advertising’, has been pulled together by a variety of industry experts, to provide a full rundown of the opportunities available today.”
It’s been a collaborative effort to produce this European-level industry guide for in-app Advertising, with contributors including the Coalition for Better Ads, CNN International Commercial, DoubleVerify, Google, Integral Ad Science (IAS), PubMatic and Smaato.
The Guide to In-App Advertising can be downloaded from IAB Europe’s website here.
2nd February, Brussels, Belgium: IAB Europe acknowledges the decision announced today by the Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD) in connection with its investigation of IAB Europe. We note that the decision contains no prohibition of the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF), as had been requested by the complainants, and that the APD considers the purported infringements by IAB Europe that it has identified to be susceptible of being remedied in six months.
We reject the finding that we are a data controller in the context of the TCF. We believe this finding is wrong in law and will have major unintended negative consequences going well beyond the digital advertising industry. We are considering all options with respect to a legal challenge.
Notwithstanding our grave reservations on the substance of the decision, we look forward to working with the APD on an action plan to be executed within the prescribed six months that will ensure the TCF’s continuing utility in the market. As previously communicated, it has always been our intention to submit the Framework for approval as a GDPR transnational Code of Conduct. Today’s decision would appear to clear the way for work on that to begin.
For more information on the APD decision on IAB Europe and the TCF, please visit our FAQ document here.
Authored by Measurement and Connected TV (CTV) experts from Across Europe
Provides Valuable Insights on the Targeting and Measurement Options Available for CTV
26th January, Brussels, Belgium: IAB Europe, the leading European-level industry association for the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem, has today released its ‘Guide to CTV Targeting and Measurement’ to provide an overview of the targeting and measurement capabilities currently available in Europe.
This Guide follows on from IAB Europe’s Guide to Connected TV (CTV), Guide to the Programmatic CTV Opportunity in Europe and the Guide to Brand Safety in CTV to address an industry ask to delve deeper into this channel, to explore the targeting and measurement options and best practices for CTV.
As the CTV ad revenue opportunity grows in Europe and more ad budgets flow from linear TV into programmatic and CTV it is crucial that effective targeting and measurement solutions are in place across the supply chain. The Guide to Connected TV Targeting and Measurement has been developed by members of IAB Europe’s Channels & Formats Task Force to provide an overview of the targeting and measurement capabilities currently available, as well as to share key considerations for the buy-side. Given that this channel is evolving so quickly, it also dives into what the future holds for measurement and targeting in this space.
Commenting on her contribution to the Guide, Lizzie Wiltshire, Head of Client Solutions, Samsung Ads Europe said ‘CTV is rightly being recognised by the industry as an exciting avenue for advertisers. It’s an effective way to reach viewers on the biggest screen in the home, and it can also bring the best of digital advertising to its offer in terms of targeting and measurement. However, it can be tricky to understand exactly what CTV advertising offers and what buyers need to consider, as with any nascent technology.
I’m really pleased to be taking part in IAB Europe’s guide to targeting and measurement in CTV. It’s crucial for those of us in the space to actively educate the industry, and it’s great to be doing so alongside other market-leading businesses. As smart TV adoption grows rapidly across Europe, understanding how to reach OTT viewers and what success looks like will become increasingly high on the agenda for leading advertisers. It’s fantastic that IAB Europe is on the front foot to ensure they know what to look for.’
It has been a collaborative effort to produce this industry-leading targeting and measurement guide, with contributors including Comscore, Kantar, Magnite, MediaMath, PubMatic, Samsung Ads Europe and ShowHeroes Group.
Commenting on the importance of this Guide, Kristanne Roberts, Product Management Director at Kantar said: “IAB Europe's latest CTV guide provides a great overview of industry best practices, with further detail on the targeting and measurement opportunities available to buyers. It’s a great starting point for anyone looking to learn a bit more about CTV or for a guide on what to look out for when it comes to buying or evaluating CTV investment.”
Graeme Lynch, VP Demand, EMEA at Magnite also said, "CTV is the new frontier for consumers and advertisers and ad-supported services are at the centre of this evolution. The quality of content and the overall viewer experience needs to be at the forefront of everything being developed. Measurement is a key ingredient that will substantiate the value of advertising on CTV. The IAB's guide is a great resource for understanding the development of addressability and measurement in the CTV ecosystem and will help us continue to improve this important area in 2022."
Download the Guide here.
Contact
For more information please contact Lauren Wakefield (wakefield@iabeurope.eu)
20 January 2022, Brussels, Belgium – The European Parliament has voted to accept new amendments to its position on the Digital Services Act, which will be put to a final vote today. A number of these provisions give cause for concern for all those who support an efficient, secure and prosperous European digital market.
Amendment 202, on online interfaces, prohibits service providers from ever asking for consent for data processing if a user has objected “by automated means using technical specifications”. We are concerned that this means that individual website or app publishers who want to request consent for legitimate purposes will be barred from doing so if a user has checked a box at the browser or OS level. This would strengthen the gatekeeper role of dominant players and have a disproportionate effect on small publishers.
Amendments 498 and 499 demand that services provide equal access and functionality to users who refuse consent for data processing for the purposes of advertising. This risks creating a ‘free rider’ problem and putting in peril huge swathes of the ad-supported information economy.
Commenting on the vote, IAB Europe Director of Public Policy Greg Mroczkowski said:
“The use of personal data in advertising is already tightly regulated by existing legislation. It is disappointing that in a mistaken belief that targeted advertising causes online disinformation or breaches privacy and data protection principles, MEPs have decided to pass amendments that not only overlap with the GDPR and existing consumer law but risk undermining these rules, as well as the entire ad-supported digital economy.
“We urge policymakers to take good account of the progress currently being made in GDPR enforcement and reconsider these amendments during the trilogue process to ensure we end up with a DSA that provides legal certainty for all actors.
“Ultimately, a Digital Services Act that boosts transparency and certainty across the online economy is in everyone’s interests. We will be consulting with our members and all interested stakeholders to try to come up with solutions that are workable, secure and efficient.”
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