Daasity

AdChoices Confusion: Navigating User Consent in AdTech

An AdExchanger opinion piece analyzes the AdChoices self-regulatory program and the WebChoices opt-out tool, illustrating a fractured user experience where the AdChoices icon is used by many publishers without always leveraging the DAA’s official consent mechanisms. The author recounts attempting to opt out of a Hogwarts Legacy ad on CNN and encountering Google’s consent UI rather than WebChoices. WebChoices allows opt-outs from interest-based advertising (IBA), but opt-out preferences may be stored in cookies and can be ineffective if cookies are blocked or deleted. The article notes that the AdChoices icon is frequently used as a consumer gateway without consistent application of the DAA’s tools, leading to inconsistent experiences. It cites DAA CEO Lou Mastria arguing that self-regulation will be critical amid evolving state privacy laws and potential federal legislation, while questioning the coherence of self-regulation in the ad tech industry.

Apple iOS14 Changes: ‘Your App’ May No Longer Mean ‘Your Data’

Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy, anticipated with iOS 14.5, requires explicit consent to track iOS users across apps and websites and extends to any data tied to an iOS device, including registered emails. The piece argues there may be no grandfathering of previously collected data once ATT is adopted, and discusses potential restrictions on data sharing for non-retargeting uses. It highlights Apple's SKAdNetwork updates that require publishers and ad networks to share ad respondent data with Apple to enable anonymized attribution, which could hinder fraud detection and suppress device fingerprinting. The article also raises legal and regulatory questions about GDPR alignment, references DAA principles, and notes an IAB France complaint related to ATT. Overall, it frames ATT as a major policy shift with broad implications for consent, data ownership, and industry practices.

Full Disclosure: The FTC Has Its Eye On Cross-Device Tracking

The FTC's Office of Technology Research and Investigation studied cross-device tracking practices in digital advertising, analyzing 100 top sites (Alexa’s top 100). The findings show that most sites’ privacy policies permit third-party tracking, including browser data, but provide little explicit discussion of cross-device tracking or user opt-out. Only three of the 100 sites explicitly acknowledged enabling cross-device tracking. The paper, published in Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies (not an official FTC stance), notes that sites share extensive data with third parties that could link activity across devices and offline records, often without consumer awareness. Of the 100 sites, 96 allowed logins (creating persistent identifiers), and 1,130 distinct connections to external domains were observed. Many third-party domains fall outside major self-regulatory programs, and opt-out disclosures are sparse or unclear, highlighting regulatory and industry gaps in cross-device privacy disclosures.