Last week the IAB Tech Lab released a report reviewing Google’s Privacy Sandbox data sharing platform. The report identified key issues underscoring challenges the industry faces in adapting to the changes required by Privacy Sandbox.
Among the challenges identified by IAB Tech Lab include brand safety concerns due to potential threats to the integrity of ads and the ability to align with desired contexts and values. IAB also finds it concerning that Google’s execution of an ad exchange and ad server within the Chrome browser necessitates significant re-tooling of the programmatic advertising ecosystem. This affects addressability, reporting, ad rendering processes, bidding decisioning capabilities, and concerns around scaling the Privacy Sandbox.
Google Privacy Sandbox has issued a response to clarify any misunderstanding about the platform caused by IAB’s report. Google also reiterated that it still plans to phase out third-party cookies in the second half of this year, subject to addressing any remaining competition concerns from the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority.
The Privacy Sandbox response to IAB’s analysis mainly focuses on the Technical Assessments to clarify five programmatic advertising categories in the IAB report: Audience Management, Auction Dynamics, Creative Delivery and Rendering, Reporting, and Interoperability. “We’ve focused our responses on the Technical Assessment, as an accurate understanding of the Privacy Sandbox APIs is critical to understanding business impact. In addition, the [IAB] report raises questions around fragmented documentation, commercial requirements, third-party audits, industry accreditation, scalability, transparency and future governance, which we will engage with the ecosystem on and update our public FAQs accordingly.”
IAB Tech Lab is inviting industry stakeholders to participate in a 45-day period for public comments until March 22. Google says it supports IAB’s call to action for companies to start testing the Privacy Sandbox APIs and to share feedback on how the Privacy Sandbox technologies can be improved now and in the future.
