Profile picture
Johnny Ryan @johnnyryan
, 12 tweets, 7 min read Read on Twitter
Re Facebook-alytica-omni-shambles-gate...

Facebook left its API wide open, and had no control over personal data once those data left Facebook.

But there is a wider story coming: (thread...)
Every single big website in the world is leaking data in a similar way, through "RTB bid requests" for online behavioural advertising #adtech. 2/12
Every time an ad loads on a website, the site sends the visitor's IP address (indicating physical location), the URL they are looking at, and details about their device, to hundreds -often thousands- of companies. Here is a graphic that shows the process. 3/12
The website does this to let these companies "bid" to show their ad to this visitor. Here is a video of how the system works .
In Europe this accounts for about a quarter of publishers' gross revenue. 4/12
Once these personal data leave the publisher, via "bid request", the publisher has no control over what happens next. I repeat that: personal data are routinely sent, every time a page loads, to hundreds/thousands of companies, with no control over what happens to them. 5/12
This means that every person, and what they look at online, is routinely profiled by companies that receive these data from the websites they visit. Where possible, these data and combined with offline data. These profiles are built up in “DMPs”. 6/12
Many of these DMPs (data management platforms) are owned by data brokers. (Side note: The FTC's 2014 report on data brokers is shocking. See ftc.gov/reports/data-b…)
There is no functional difference between an #adtech DMP and Cambridge Analytica. 7/12
None of this will be legal under the #GDPR. (See one reason why at pagefair.com/blog/2017/unde…).
Publishers and brands need to take care to stop using personal data in the RTB system. Data connections to sites (and apps) have to be carefully controlled by publishers. 8/12
So far, #adtech's trade body has been content to cover over this wholesale personal data leakage with meaningless gestures that purport to address the #GDPR (see my note on @IABEurope current actions here pagefair.com/blog/2018/iab-…). It is time for a more practical position. 9/12
And advertisers, who pay for all of this, must start to demand that safe, non-personal data take over in online RTB targeting. RTB works without personal data. Brands need to demand this to protect themselves - and all Internet users too. @dwheld @stephan_lo @BobLiodice 10/12
Websites need to control
1. which data they release in to the RTB system
2. whether ads render directly in visitors' browsers (where DSPs JavaScript can drop trackers)
3. what 3rd parties get to be on their page
@jason_kint @epc_angela @vincentpeyregne @earljwilkinson 11/12
Lets work together to fix this. 12/12
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to Johnny Ryan
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member and get exclusive features!

Premium member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year)

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!