Google and IAB’s inadequate proposals to reform RTB
Jan 21, 2020
This note highlights the inadequacies of Google and IAB proposals to reform RTB, and rebuts the argument for inaction.
The ICO’s failure to act on RTB, the largest data breach ever recorded in the UK
Jan 17, 2020
The ICO has today announced that it will be taking no substantive action to fix "RTB", the largest data breach ever recorded in the UK. Regulatory ambivalence cannot continue. We are considering all options to put an end to the systemic breach, including direct challenges to the controllers and judicial oversight of the ICO.
Ryan’s testimony at International Grand Chamber: RTB data breach enables disinformation. Enforcers can be sued.
Nov 11, 2019
Ryan's tells leaders from ten parliaments: the RTB data breach enables disinformation. Enforcers can be sued.
Why marketers must conduct GDPR Data Protection Impact Assessments of RTB
Sep 24, 2019
This note examines the GDPR requirement that marketers conduct data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) when buying digital media using “real-time bidding” advertising.
A summary of the ICO report on RTB – and what happens next
Jun 26, 2019
This note summarizes the ICO report on real-time bidding, which vindicates the GDPR complaints initiated by Brave, and points toward the solution.
Major publisher group DCN tells regulators “the sky won’t fall” if RTB switches to safe, non-personal data.
Jun 19, 2019
DCN's CEO, Jason Kint, says removing personal data from bid requests might disadvantage adtech companies, but the sky won’t fall for publishers.
Google faces first investigation by its European lead authority for “suspected infringement” of the GDPR, following formal complaint from Brave
May 22, 2019
Today, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has announced a major GDPR probe into “suspected infringement” by Google’s DoubleClick/Authorized Buyers advertising business. The probe was triggered by a formal complaint from Dr Johnny Ryan, Chief Policy Officer at Brave, the private web browser.
Ad Tech GDPR complaint is extended to four more European regulators
May 20, 2019
GDPR complaints about Real-Time Bidding (RTB) in the online advertising industry were filed today with Data Protection Authorities in Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The complaints detail the vast scale of personal data leakage by Google and other major companies in the “Ad Tech” industry. This week marks one year since the introduction of the GDPR.
Formal GDPR complaint against IAB Europe’s “cookie wall” and GDPR consent guidance.
Apr 1, 2019
A Formal GDPR complaint against IAB Europe’s “cookie wall” and GDPR consent guidance has been filed with the Irish Data Protection Commission.
The Economist’s “Data protection-free zone” diagram of online ad auctions.
Mar 28, 2019
The cover story of The Economist this week includes a diagram of the "data protection-free zone" at the heart of the online advertising auction system.
New evidence to regulators: IAB documents reveal that it knew that real-time bidding would be “incompatible with consent under GDPR”.
Feb 20, 2019
New evidence to regulators: IAB documents reveal that it knew that real-time bidding would be “incompatible with consent under GDPR”.
Update on GDPR complaint (RTB ad auctions)
Jan 28, 2019
Brave and co-complainants in Poland, Ireland, and the UK submit new evidence about massive adtech leakage of highly intimate data.
French regulator shows deep flaws in IAB’s consent framework and RTB
Nov 20, 2018
French regulator's decision against Vectaury confirms that IAB “Transparency & Consent Framework” does not obtain valid consent, and illustrates how even tiny adtech companies can unlawfully gather millions of people’s personal data from the online advertising “real time bidding system” (RTB).
Critical data protection problems in the IAB’s new OpenRTB 3.0 Spec
Sep 4, 2018
Today, Brave writes to the IAB (an ad tech trade body) in response to IAB TechLab’s request for feedback on the beta version of OpenRTB 3.0.
