What’s next following Google’s User ID announcement?

Article correct as of 22 March 2021.

Following Google’s announcement that it will not support alternate identifiers once third-party cookies have been phased out, we held a User ID Forum for our ad tech members to openly discuss the news and raise key questions. This has helped us to further understand the concerns that exist within the ad tech community and shape our next steps. 

Here is a current summary of key articles, events and meetings that will help our members to understand the implications of Google’s news and share their views with the industry:

Useful articles

• IAB UK, 22 March 2021, on IAB Tech Lab's draft portfolio of Project Rearc Standards and how our members can feedback. Read more here or feedback to IAB Tech Lab here. 

• Google Ads, 11 March 2021, on how it is experimenting with new technologies to sustain publishers' ad revenue as the web evolves. Read it here. 

• IAB Tech Lab, 11 March 2021, on Google’s latest privacy announcements including a breakdown on what it means for users, publishers, advertisers and ad tech. Read it here.

• IAB Australia, 4 March 2021, on how Privacy Sandbox is evolving and what it means for different parts of the industry. Read it here.

Past events 

• IAB Europe’s Town Hall with Google Ads: This took place on Tuesday, 16 March and allowed IAB UK members to hear first-hand from Google on the potential implications for advertisers, agencies, ad tech intermediaries, and publishers. 

• Joint session with ISBA: At the end of March, we will be holding a session with ISBA to ensure that brands are hearing directly from the ad tech community. We held a meeting on 17 March for members to put views forward ahead of the session. 

If you have any questions - for either us at IAB UK or directly for Google - please don’t hesitate to get in touch. While we’re aware that there is currently a lot of uncertainty about what Google’s news will mean in practice, it’s crucial that we continue to engage in cross-industry dialogue and fully understand the implications for all areas of the digital advertising industry.