Spotlight
Welcome to the latest edition of Spotlight, your monthly recap of the biggest stories in adtech and digital marketing.
What we have for you today: The CCPA gets an update, AI privacy concerns come to the fore, and CTV operators see to capture ad revenues.
Around the world, regulators are stepping up oversight of privacy laws and they’re not hesitating to act. A recent piece from AdExchanger serves as a timely reminder; authorities expect full compliance, and brands that fall short risk serious consequences. Recent enforcement cases highlight how even small procedural missteps can lead to breaches. The takeaway for brands and their adtech partners is clear: compliance must be built into your technology, processes and teams—and maintained rigorously.
One of the first privacy laws to shape the digital landscape, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), has been updated, with changes set to take effect in 2027. Notably, the revised regulations exclude behavioural advertising from the definition of “significant decisions” made using AI or algorithms. However, that doesn’t mean the ad industry is off the hook. As Odia Kagan, partner at Fox Rothschild, emphasises: sharing personal data for targeted advertising still demands clear consumer mechanisms for opting out and transparent disclosures. The need for privacy-first practices remains as strong as ever.
In its new AI framework, the US government has signalled a willingness to cut red tape in a bid to stay ahead in the global AI race. As Digiday reports, this shift could significantly impact the advertising industry. While some marketers see an opportunity to prioritise speed and experimentation, others warn of legal risks around brand IP, data protection, and copyright breaches. Our own view is that AI holds enormous potential to drive efficiency across the marketing value chain. However, brands must ensure the data powering AI models and agents is is privacy-centric and fully compliant from the start.
A recent gathering of more than 80 media executives in New York underscores how seriously the industry is taking AI’s threat to data privacy and publisher business models. Convened by the IAB Tech Lab, the group focused on how to block AI companies from scraping publisher content to train their models and capture user attention – often without consent, let alone compensation. The goal is to develop a technical framework that gives publishers greater control over who accesses their content and under what conditions. This collective fightback is a crucial step forward in helping publishers safeguard both their IP and their revenue streams in the age of AI.
Recent earnings briefings from several adtech firms reveal a clear trend by which independent players are starting to benefit as marketers grow cautious of Google and other Big Tech platforms. Jeff Green, CEO of The Trade Desk, highlighted a supply–side demand imbalance that favours the open internet over walled gardens. At Novatiq, we’ve long argued that a more fragmented ad ecosystem would drive greater choice, innovation, and better practices across the industry. It’s encouraging to see momentum building in that direction.
Ad waste shoots up
A new report from the Association of National Advertisers reveals that programmatic waste has surged 34% over the past two years, amounting to a significant $25 billion in lost ad spend. While the industry has made progress in reducing exposure to made-for-advertising (MFA) sites and promoting more sustainable inventory, the overall inefficiency gap continues to widen. A critical part of the solution lies in accurate engagement; ensuring audiences are fully verified at source so ads aren’t wasted on bots or misdirected to the wrong people.
CTV operators eye ad dollars
Connected TV (CTV) operators are rapidly expanding their creator content portfolios in a bid to capture a larger share of ad spend. Platforms such as Tubi, Samsung TV Plus, and Netflix have all recently announced new creator initiatives or original productions, reflecting the growing appetite among brands to invest in both CTV and creator-led content. As with other areas of digital advertising, data will be a deciding factor in success. Advertisers will follow; but only if platforms can deliver high-volume, consented audiences at scale. Building infrastructure that integrates multiple privacy-first IDs and verifies viewers will be critical to winning those ad dollars.
More from Novatiq
As always, you can also read more by visiting our blog. This month, we’re looking at telco data monetisation, specifically how telcos can build a winning strategy.
Telcos are looking for greater revenue streams than their current models provide. Could a smart digital strategy, providing telco-verified ID solutions at scale for publishers and brands, be the answer?
Download your free guide to find out why digital identity could be a lucrative new opportunity.
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