Observed Signal · Nov 6, 2025 · Research Study · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Negative
IP Address Match Rates: Alarmingly Low Accuracy Revealed
New findings from Truthset, commissioned by the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and Go Addressable, reveal limited accuracy in linking online identifiers to real households. On average, IP-to-email matches are about 16% accurate, and IP-to-postal matches about 13% accurate. The study analyzed data from six major data vendors, including about 1 billion email addresses, 250 million IP addresses, and 164 million postal addresses. Verification used records from two internet service providers and one large multichannel video programming distributor over a 90-day window from December 2024 to February 2025, with Bayesian methods and machine learning to assess match correctness. The results show substantial vendor divergence (the most accurate provider up to 4.5x better than the least accurate), little overlap between vendors (over 90% of linkages unique to one provider), and underrepresentation of IPv6. The findings underscore the need for standards and industry collaboration rather than chasing maximum match rates.
Highlights limitations in IP-based matching for advertising measurement and calls for industry standardization and collaboration.
Track Truthset Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Truthset conducted a study on IP-to-email and IP-to-postal matching accuracy for the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and Go Addressable.
- IP-to-email matches are accurate about 16% of the time on average; IP-to-postal matches are accurate about 13% of the time.
- The study analyzed data from six major data vendors, comprising roughly 1 billion email addresses, 250 million IP addresses, and 164 million postal addresses.
- Verification data came from two internet service providers and one large multichannel video programming distributor over a 90-day period from December 2024 to February 2025.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Study: IP-Based Ad Targeting Is Highly Inaccurate
A Truthset study, commissioned by CIMM and Go Addressable, finds IP-based ad targeting is highly unreliable for household and audience advertising. The report reports that IP-to-postal address matches occur only 13% of the time and IP-to-email matches 16% of the time, estimating that only $0.03 of every dollar spent reaches the intended audience. Truthset warns that frequently reassigned IP addresses and divergent data from providers undermine programmatic targeting, leaving open-web and free ad-supported streaming services at a disadvantage compared with deterministic, login-driven walled gardens like Google, Meta and Amazon. The study calls for a move toward deterministic identifiers and improved identity infrastructure for addressable TV and cross-platform measurement.
IP-Based CTV Targeting Fails 75% of Time
New research from identity resolution vendor Adstra and indie media agency InterMedia Advertising finds that IP-based connected TV (CTV) targeting is frequently inaccurate. The study reports that only 23% of residential IP addresses reached their intended geographic target and that device-level CTV identifiers were more stable over time (71%) than IP addresses (57%). The authors argue that opaque IP-to-household mapping methods waste media spend and propose a new reliability framework, ID Connection Strength (ICS), which scores identifiers 1–6 across five criteria. ICS has been in testing since January with select brands and agencies and is expected to be more widely available in the third quarter of 2026.
Addressability Crisis: Fragmentation Hurts Match Rates
Addressability fragmentation is framed as the real crisis behind shrinking match rates, not merely operational complexity. Match rate measures how many users can be recognized and reached as data moves from onboarding to activation to measurement. A study by Go Addressable, CIMM and Truthset finds IP-to-email match accuracy averaging about 16%. The piece argues that involving more data partners reduces match rates due to additional handoffs and data loss at each sync point. It notes onboarding passes through multiple ID systems (emails, cookies, device IDs, DSP identifiers and publisher IDs), which fragments audiences and lowers reach. Privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, LGPD and APPI) further complicate cross-jurisdictional consent. The article advocates identity optimization via a unified identity graph, highlighting ID5’s acquisition of TrueData as a move to unify signals across devices, households and channels, preserving reach and enabling reliable measurement.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.