Ad Tech Firms Shift To Server-Side Solutions
Ad tech firms are moving ad calls server-side in response to Apple's Safari browser blocking domains tied to identity resolution providers. This shift may help ad tech firms regain control from power brokers like Apple and Google.
Original reporting · digiday.com
Original: “Can ad tech’s server-side shift save it from Apple and Google?”
Read “Can ad tech’s server-side shift save it from Apple and Google?” at Digiday →
How this was written. Content Catalyst wrote this article with a language model from Digiday’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from Digiday’s report
- Ad tech firms are moving ad calls server-side in response to Apple's Safari browser blocking domains tied to identity resolution providers.
- The server-side shift may not be a long-term solution, and it may not be the right one.
- Ad tech firms cannot wrest control from power brokers like Apple and Google, but they can gain a degree of autonomy with Trusted Server.
- Prebid may be able to take control from Google in the programmatic auction, but it is unclear if this will be effective.
- The industry needs to get its act together and do more than the bare minimum to instill trust, otherwise browsers and platforms will continue to put their hand on the scale.
Ad tech firms are pushing to move ad calls server-side, including through the IAB Tech Lab's Trusted Server technology, in response to Apple's Safari browser blocking domains tied to identity resolution providers. This shift is seen as a potential solution to the challenges posed by Apple's actions. However, it is unclear if this solution will be effective in the long term.
The move to server-side ad calls is also driven by the remedies ruling in Google's ad tech antitrust trial, which has given Prebid an opening to flip the programmatic auction. This could potentially limit Google's control over ad tech firms' actions. However, it is unclear if Prebid will be able to take control from Google.
According to Digiday, the server-side shift may not be a long-term solution, and it may not be the right one. The company's executive editor of news, Seb Joseph, notes that Trusted Server was not designed to be a workaround for Apple's actions, and that Apple will likely find a way to offset any attempts to use it as such.
Senior ad tech reporter Ronan Shields agrees, stating that ad tech firms cannot wrest control from power brokers like Apple and Google, as they own the browser, mobile OS, and ad tech platform. However, Shields notes that with Trusted Server, ad tech companies can gain a degree of autonomy, but they need to behave themselves to retain that autonomy.
Joseph also notes that it is incumbent on the industry to get its act together and do more than the bare minimum to instill trust, otherwise browsers and platforms will continue to put their hand on the scale. Shields questions the realism of this, but Joseph argues that it is necessary to prevent further intervention from regulators.
The impact of the server-side shift on the ad tech industry is still unclear, but it is likely to have significant implications for the way ad calls are made and the control that ad tech firms have over their actions. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be important to monitor the effectiveness of the server-side shift and the responses of power brokers like Apple and Google.
Questions and answers
What is the server-side shift in ad tech?
The server-side shift refers to the move by ad tech firms to make ad calls server-side, rather than client-side, in response to Apple's Safari browser blocking domains tied to identity resolution providers.
Can ad tech firms wrest control from power brokers like Apple and Google?
No, according to Digiday, ad tech firms cannot wrest control from power brokers like Apple and Google, as they own the browser, mobile OS, and ad tech platform.
What is Trusted Server technology?
Trusted Server technology is a solution developed by the IAB Tech Lab that allows ad tech firms to make ad calls server-side, potentially limiting the control of browsers and platforms over ad tech firms' actions.
