May 15, 2023
The Boston Business Journal recently published an article featuring Garrett Johnson, Assistant Professor of Marketing, discussing the restrictions and uncertainty of digital advertising.
Behavioral ads have been a central part of the digital economy, enabling advertisers to reach carefully selected audiences based on factors such as demographics, location, and browsing history. Data privacy regulations are now limiting companies’ ability to track users as concerns grow around consumer privacy.
Johnson states, “Many browsers and device manufacturers are taking a stand against personalized advertisers, blocking cookies and other forms of tracking. There are a lot of regulations in place or being contemplated.”
In recent years, consumers have been able to opt out of data tracking more and more. A website offers you that option when you see a pop-up about cookies, which are small files that remember your preferences and track your online behavior. These pop-ups are the result of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a European Union law that went into effect in 2018 and sets rules for how personal data can be collected, processed, and stored. In the pop-ups, users can consent or opt out of sharing their data. Johnson isn’t sure where the controversies over tracking and data privacy will land, but he believes the technology in this space is promising.