Greater public attention to privacy has reduced trust in all tech providers, including those like Apple and Google that have positioned themselves as privacy-friendly. Apple’s rank in Jebbit’s annual Consumer Data Trust Index fell from 17 to 43, while Google fell from number 4 to 89. Amazon fell just slightly, from first to fourth place, while Facebook actually improved a bit from 97 to 88.
At the same time, they are raising privacy advocate concerns about their utilizing data transferred via network operators, which is usually untouched.
When Apple started to enforce its Application Tracking Transparency (ATT) rules for iPhone in April 2021, no one knew how many users would share their IDFA device ID when given an explicit choice. More than one year later, Pubmatic reports the rate is about 30% for iOS 14.5 and higher, compared with 55% for earlier iOS versions. One secondary result is that impressions with IDFA present earn a cost per thousand (eCPM) that’s 2.7x higher than impressions without an IDFA.
It’s tough to get brand safety right, but the industry keeps trying. IPG Mediabrands announced a new set of tools to find and block inappropriate ad placements, while IAS expanded its suitability measurements to include standards from the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). Meanwhile, DoubleVerify admitted a mistake made brand safety on X/Twitter look worse than it really was in October 2023 and March 2024.