Episode 62: The Future of Self-regulation in Digital Ad Privacy

David LeDuc from the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) sits down with host Alan Chapell to discuss the NAI's reinvention of its self-regulatory efforts in light of the influx of U.S. state privacy laws. They discuss what a good privacy law looks like, the challenges around finding the right balance, California's new Deletion tool, and the likelihood of a U.S. federal privacy law in the near term. More on David LeDuc and the NAI at https://thenai.org/about-the-nai-2/staff/ More on the Chapell Regulatory Insider at https://chapellreport.substack.com/ Takeaways The NAI has shifted from crafting self-regulatory rules to helping companies comply with complex state and federal privacy laws as enforcement accelerates. The California Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP) is likely the most impactful regulatory development for the ad space heading into 2026. Lumping third-party ad tech companies together with traditional data brokers may create regulatory confusion. Kids’ privacy is rapidly expanding beyond COPPA, creating major challenges for ad tech companies aound compliance given that most have no idea how to ascertain the age of a User. Enforcement sophistication and coordination among state attorneys general are increasing, changing the risk profile for companies that try to “keep their heads down” and do the minimum. Attempts to regulate AI indirectly through privacy and consumer protection laws are likely to continue as federal leadership stalls. Chapters 00:00 Welcome and episode overview 02:23 Who is David LeDuc and what is the NAI today 06:00 Are lobbyists really the problem 09:40 Kids’ data, age verification, and policy tensions 13:06 Educating regulators vs legislators 18:04 Ad tech vs data brokers 21:10 What does a “perfect” privacy law look like 30:27 California’s Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform 35:40 Global Privacy Control and browser obligations 39:25 AI regulation through privacy and consumer protection laws 44:20 Predictions for 2026 50:21 Where to find David and the NAI 52:10 – Final wrap-up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices