Safari Blocks Ad Identity Companies and Pushes Them to Servers
Safari imposed restrictions on ad identity provider domains, leading companies like ID5 to begin moving their infrastructure to servers amid concerns of increased complexity.
WebKit restrictions in the Safari browser have imposed a block on ad identity provider domains, prompting companies in the sector to seek alternative solutions. During the week beginning October 19, Digiday tested the impact of these restrictions on Audigent, ID5, LiveRamp, Permutive, and The Trade Desk.
ID5 has begun moving its identity infrastructure to servers instead of relying on the device. Meanwhile, IAB Tech Lab is working on the Trusted Server Framework as another response to the same restrictions.
Critics warned that this trend adds complexity and increases reliance on the cloud, arguing that moving processing to the server may appear to be an attempt to evade browser controls rather than addressing their underlying cause.
ID5 CEO Mathieu Roche said server-side operation is "more resilient" because identity no longer resides on the user's device, thereby reducing the impact of browser restrictions.
What do these terms mean?
WebKit: The rendering engine used by the Safari browser, responsible for enforcing browser rules and restrictions.
Identity provider: A company that collects user identification data across websites to recognize them later for advertising and analytics.
Trusted Server Framework: An IAB Tech Lab framework that operates advertising from a trusted server instead of the browser, aiming to reduce reliance on cookies.
Identity infrastructure: The systems and servers that store, manage, and link user identification data across websites and applications.
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