How Privacy is Reshaping the Ad Tech Industry

Allison Schiff is the Managing Editor at AdExchanger, where she covers mobile, Meta, measurement, privacy, and the app economy. Allison received her MA in journalism from the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland (her favorite place) and a BA in history and English from Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. In this episode… Ad tech companies are under increasing pressure to evolve their privacy practices. What was once considered a "wild west," loosely regulated environment, is now being reshaped by regulatory enforcement actions and shifting consumer expectations. Many companies are becoming more selective about their vendors, implementing privacy by design, and embracing data minimization practices after years of unchecked data collection. While at the same time, many ad tech companies are rushing to position themselves as AI companies, often without a clear understanding of the risks and how these claims align with consumer trust. To meet rising regulatory and consumer expectations, some ad tech companies are taking concrete steps to improve their privacy posture. This includes auditing third-party tools, removing unnecessary tracking pixels from websites, and gaining more visibility into how data flows through partner systems. On the AI front, research shows that consumer trust drops when AI-generated content is not clearly labeled and that marketing products as AI-powered makes them less appealing. These findings point to the need for greater transparency in company data collection practices and marketing and AI transparency.  In this episode of the She Said Privacy/He Said Security podcast, Jodi and Justin Daniels speak with Allison Schiff, managing editor at AdExchanger, about how ad tech companies are adapting to regulatory scrutiny and evolving consumer privacy expectations. Allison shares how the ad tech industry's approach to privacy is maturing, and explains how companies are implementing privacy by design, reassessing vendor relationships, and using consent tools more intentionally. She offers insight into how journalists utilize AI while maintaining editorial judgment and presents concerns about AI's impact on critical thinking. Allison also describes the disconnect between AI marketing hype and consumer preferences, and the need for companies to disclose the use of AI-generated content to maintain trust.