As we hit the midpoint of 2025, what’s the current state of privacy in ad tech? 

As 2025 progresses, the ad industry’s tug-of-war between regulation and privacy in practice continues. While some players make an effort to abide with legislation, others have certainly not been playing by the existing privacy rules. 

The biggest social media giants have found themselves under scrutiny time and time again. Just some examples from this year include…

In March, Meta reached a legal agreement to stop targeting a UK user with personalised ads. In the EU, it was fined over the lack of choice it gives users to consent to data collection. 

In the US, Google agreed to pay the state of Texas a sum of USD$1.4bn (£1bn) to settle two lawsuits accusing it of violating the privacy of state residents by tracking their locations and searches, as well as collecting their facial recognition information. 

Elsewhere, TikTok was fined €530m (£449m) over concerns with how it protects user information. Even LinkedIn was caught for conducting some shady privacy practices: the platform was sued by Premium customers who alleged that their private messages had been disclosed to third-parties without their permission. 

As regulation intensifies, advertisers tackle old and new challenges surrounding privacy. Last year marked a turning point for the industry, as Chrome’s great cookie deprecation plans came to an end. Yet, the cookie continues to crumble as Google deprecates their value in a way which absolves them of all culpability. Meanwhile, advertisers continue moving towards privacy conscious solutions as advances in tech develop at an unprecedented rate. 

We asked some industry experts to share their thoughts...

As AI, machine-learning and graph-based technologies become more advanced and widely adopted in ad tech, privacy is no longer just a matter of compliance – it’s also about directionality. It’s essential that seed audiences come from transparent, real-world data - not proxies or assumptions. No matter how sophisticated the model, an algorithmically generated audience built upon shaky foundations will fail to perform in the market.

Ultimately, what the digital advertising sector must prioritise this year is accurate data and privacy-first strategies. By doing so, they can build stronger, sustainable relationships with their audience and an ecosystem that is more trusted, resilient and performs better because of it. 

Sarah Robertson, Chief Product Officer, Experian Marketing Services

In January 2025, the ICO made it clear that the advertising industry is firmly in its crosshairs – starting with the top 1,000 sites, ad tech platforms, and prebidder tech. After discovering that 53 out of the top 100 UK sites were still non-compliant, the regulator doubled down: further infringements will trigger fines. This has prompted a sharp reaction across the ecosystem, with brands, agencies and platforms urgently seeking ways to mitigate their exposure.

At Wult, we’re seeing up to 35% of campaign site lists include publishers with dangerously low data compliance scores – posing real legal risk to anyone in the supply chain. Our real-time compliance scoring and curation tools help buyers actively reduce this risk.

The ICO has already warned that efforts to improve transparency and control within prebid environments will be recognised. This is important to note, as history shows that their warnings are swiftly followed by enforcement and taking positive action will be considered favourably. With brand safety now directly tied to compliance, the industry must act decisively. Just ask Criteo – whose €40 million fine serves as a cautionary tale for anyone tolerating weak links in their data chain.

Maria Cadbury, CRO, Wult

The internet is powered by data-driven advertising, offering people content and services at little or no cost. Yet privacy can't be sacrificed: it's not ads or ethics. Despite innovative new approaches, regulatory hurdles are bogging down ad tech. Brands must champion ethical data to build genuine customer trust.

Nick Stringer, Global Technology, Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs Specialist