Data privacy is an ever-present concern in the digital age. This data can include varying levels of information about consumers that is then used for targeted marketing, such as: personal contact details (name, address, phone number, etc), financial information (credit cards or bank accounts), identifying details (date of birth, social security number, etc), and usage information (cookies, website tracking, etc). With this growing sea of personal information, it’s important to be responsible with it, as well as abide by regulations governing data privacy.

The internet has made it easier for targeted marketing campaigns, but the tides are changing in regards to how advertisers are affected by current and proposed data privacy regulations. 

The collection and usage of personal information has driven regulations such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and Brazil’s Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD), which is similar to the EU’s GDPR. In general, these regulations state how personal data is collected, allows people to request an explanation as to how this information is being used, and also gives people the right to opt in or out to these collection practices at any time, or to have their information deleted upon request (with some exceptions).

Google and Apple have been at the forefront of this shift in data privacy. In 2021, Apple rolled out several data privacy features, including the ability for its users to directly choose whether or not their data could be tracked. Google plans to eliminate third-party cookies in its Chrome browsers in 2023, replacing it instead with a “topics” API that is short-term storage of some “less sensitive” web browsing data, which may hurt advertisers seeking to monitor performance metrics.

The big takeaway for both publishers and advertisers is to be responsible with user data and ensure that the existing regulations are abided by. This shift in data collection means that there will be more of a focus on quality content, and broader, yet more generally appealing, ad campaigns. Marketing existed long before the internet made the collection of data easy to target audiences. It will take a focus on resonating with your audience, rather than utilizing data metrics, to make successful marketing campaigns thrive.