IAB Tech Lab unveils new working group to tackle evolving consent frameworks

By Ronan Shields

The IAB’s Annual Leadership Meeting kicks off today, its first IRL conference (remember those?) since 2020 when it declared “Project Rearc”, a.k.a. the hunt for a third-party cookie alternative. This time, the trade body wants to explore “privacy-enhancing technology”, also known as “PETs” with its recently unveiled working group.

The “PETs” Working Group enters the world as the ad industry seeks to agree upon tracking technologies that can act as an alternative to third-party cookies and other identifiers as privacy laws force providers of web browsers and operating systems (read Apple & Google) to implement major restrictions on the flow of user data.

The IAB’s conference also takes place as the trade org seeks to address flaws in how the flow of user data through the middle layers of the industry is communicated to the public after rulings from the enforcers of EU privacy laws put the industry on notice last week.

The Rearc continues

The PETs Working Group, an IAB Tech Lab project, forms part of Project Rearc and will draw on technologies currently employed by the insurance and financial industries used to maximize data security and minimize the use of personal data.

IAB Tech Lab is currently inviting data scientists, developers and security systems engineers across its membership to collaborate on using advanced cryptography, plus other privacy-enhancing tools to develop new means of ad targeting and user tracking.

Shailley Singh, IAB Tech Lab’s svp of product, told Digiday the working group will look to build upon earlier agreed-upon means of data usage such as “seller defined audiences” plus other “aggregated attribution” methods.

“We’re looking at next several other use cases like measurement and attribution and how to further make privacy inherent in the transactions itself,” he added. “And how do you ensure that the user’s personal information is not revealed to any party while at the same time you’re able to execute the [marketing] use cases while maintaining addressability.”

Presently IAB Tech Lab is inviting members to participate in the working group with the trade org also soliciting input from third parties such as academics that specialize in researching the use of digital technology.

The input of Big tech players, the likes of whom will absorb more than 50% of all ad spend this year, will be key if the working group’s proposals are to scale significantly. In conversation with Digiday, Singh mentioned how the group will look to build upon anonymization proposals from players such as Microsoft, called PARAKEET, as well as others.

“We’ll be using cryptographic [methodologies] to enable parties to come together and understand the data without actually knowing an individual user’s information,” he added. Speaking with Digiday in September, the recently appointed IAB Tech Lab CEO Anthony Katsur spoke of his vision on how the trade org holds the dual roles of supporting how business is conducted by establishing tech standards while also “dealing with the regulatory …read more

Source:: Digiday