One technology that’s gaining traction is an advertising framework called Unified ID 2.0, or UID 2.0, developed by the Ventura, California-based advertising technology company Trade Desk.
For example, you are using UID 2.0 to shop on a sneaker site when prompted to share your email address and agree to receive relevant advertising. When an email is entered, UID 2.0 converts it into a token consisting of a string of numbers and characters. This token is delivered along with your email address when you use it to log into a sports streaming app on your TV that uses UID 2.0. Advertisers can link the two accounts together based on the token, and they can serve you sneaker ads on the sports streaming app because they know you visited the sneaker website.
Since your email address is not revealed to advertisers, UID 2.0 may be seen as a step further for consumers than traditional cookie-based tracking, which gives advertisers access to your detailed browsing history and personal information.
“Websites and apps are increasingly requiring email authentication, in part because publishers need a better way to pass the Monetize content at the hub.” Email. “After all, the internet isn’t free.”
However, in an analysis, Mozilla, the nonprofit that makes the Firefox web browser, referred to UID 2.0 as “Privacy Returns” Because it enables the type of tracking behavior that modern web browsers are designed to prevent.
There are easier ways for websites and apps to track your web activity through your email address. An email may contain your first and last name, assuming you have been using it for some time and the data broker has compiled a comprehensive profile of your interests based on your browsing activity. A website or application may upload your email address to an advertising broker’s database to match your identity with a profile containing sufficient insight to serve you targeted advertisements.
The bottom line is, if you’re wondering why you continue to see relevant ads despite the rise of privacy tools to combat digital tracking, it’s largely because you’re still sharing your email address.
