6 Takeaways from the first IAB Tech Lab Event of 2025
Last week, IAB Tech Lab kicked off 2025 with Signal Shift: Addressability in the Privacy Era, a sold-out event focused on the evolving landscape of privacy and addressability. The packed agenda featured discussions on signal loss, compliance, the latest in privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), and groundbreaking industry initiatives. Here are six key takeaways from the event.
1. Publishers Are Taking Back Control
IAB Tech Lab CEO Anthony Katsur’s keynote set the stage for the day, reminding attendees that despite the headwinds, and the feeling that the digital advertising industry is sometimes between a rock and a hard place trying to balance the needs of privacy and addressability. Now is the time to innovate. Starting with Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) and more.
The “more” came next, as Katsur and IAB Tech Lab EVP and COO Shailley Singh announced the Trusted Server initiative, an open-source server-side solution designed to empower publishers to take back full ownership of their inventory. This initiative aims to give publishers greater control over their data while minimizing leakage in the bidstream through integrating only with partners they deem trustworthy. With a working prototype available, publishers now have a tool to regain ownership of their monetization strategies, and we encourage industry involvement to develop the roadmap priorities. Oh, and it may reduce the financial impacts of ad blocking as well – a fun bonus.
2. Privacy in Practice: Think Like a Consumer
Even if, as Katsur noted in his keynote, the industry may be suffering from “privacy burnout,” it is not the time to take your eye off the ball. Enforcement is happening. More US State regulations are passed and taking effect. Not only that, sound privacy is good business. DBR Data Privacy Solutions’ Daniel B. Rosenzweig emphasized the importance of good data hygiene and compliance with evolving privacy laws. A key way he encourages the industry to think about? We are all consumers. When building privacy strategies, companies should ask: Would I, as a consumer, feel comfortable with this data practice? If not, it’s time to rethink the approach.
3. Curation: Not All Approaches Are Created Equal
Curation is one of the hottest topics in ad tech, but not all curation is the same. There is great debate around the industry about what really constitutes Curation, which has been an important debate in our ongoing Curation Framework group. Audigent’s Drew Stein highlighted their perspective that curation has three essential components:
- Unique data
- Robust connections to inventory
- Optimization
Without these, it’s just a fancy label. The industry is moving towards a more structured, standardized approach to curation that ensures effectiveness and transparency. But if done right, Stein noted, Curation can create increased value and performance for Publishers, Media Agencies, and Brands. If you want to get involved in the IAB Tech Lab Curation Framework initiative, email memberships@iabtechlab.com.
4. Advertisers Are Thinking About Measurement First
Advertisers are prioritizing measurement and attribution, ensuring they can evaluate campaign effectiveness before selecting targeting methods. A discussion featuring AWS, TikTok, and Expedia underscored how privacy-enhanced measurement, working with event and conversion APIs, are critical in today’s landscape, and how it takes cross functional collaboration to implement successfully. The discussion reinforced the need for testing PETs sooner rather than later, which IAB Tech Lab’s forthcoming Privacy Lab initiative plans to support. We are also working towards creating a standardized Conversion API (CAPI) so if you want to get involved, let us know.
5. AI and Privacy Can Work Together
Artificial intelligence isn’t at odds with privacy; in fact, AI is a key tool in navigating ID-less environments. Dstillery’s Melinda Han Williams showcased how AI can predict brand interest and intent without relying on traditional identifiers. This “predictive bidding” approach, which Williams stated performs better than cookie-based approaches, is a textbook example of how the industry needs to innovate to solve the headwinds it faces. Meanwhile, Akhilesh Srivastava explored how differential privacy, synthetic data generation, and federated learning can be used in AI models to preserve user anonymity while enabling personalized experiences.
6. Regulators Are Focused on Meaningful Choice
A conversation with Florence Greatrix from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) reinforced the importance of consumer control and transparency. While consumers value personalized ads, they also demand clear choices and control over how their data is used. The ICO is prioritizing meaningful consent, anonymization guidance, and the role of PETs in enabling privacy-friendly advertising, in consultation with both the public and the industry. They are also looking to expand the number of sites that they are looking into. Florence joined us for the entire day and made herself available for conversations with attendees during our networking breaks, which many took advantage of.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Addressability
The shift in addressability is proving to be a forcing function for innovation. Solutions like PAIR for publishers, Privacy Taxonomies, and PET-based measurement are redefining how the industry balances privacy with effective advertising.
As the Signal Shift event made clear, 2025 is a pivotal year for privacy and addressability. Whether it’s publishers reclaiming control, advertisers focusing on measurement, or regulators emphasizing meaningful choice, the industry is taking bold steps toward a privacy-first future.
If you missed the event, you can check out the latest on Trusted Server and explore privacy-enhanced measurement with ADMaP. Stay tuned for more updates from IAB Tech Lab as we continue to shape the next era of digital advertising, and if this recap gave you FOMO, check out what we have in store with our next event on June 4 in NYC – Through the Looking Glass: Tech Lab Summit 2025.