Head of Product and Market Technique
Alex joined Department as a Developer Advocate in 2016, and helped construct the corporate’s early developer relations and long-tail adoption methods. He works intently with groups throughout the group to assist form Department’s place within the cell ecosystem, writes the Cell Progress Publication, and tweets repeatedly about mobile-related matters at @alexdbauer.
Sep 14, 2022
Lately, one in all our fellow cell measurement companions (MMPs) has been within the information for a unpleasant purpose: on August 29, the FTC sued Kochava for promoting delicate shopper knowledge.
Extra particularly, the FTC alleges that Kochava has been promoting geolocation knowledge that “can be utilized to establish individuals and hint their actions.”
At Department, we sometimes attempt to keep away from commenting on conditions like these. Nevertheless, the headlines for this story are alarming sufficient that a variety of our prospects have reached out to us with questions. They need to know what this information means for Department, and what it’d imply for them.
In different phrases, prospects are asking if the information of their very own customers may also be on the market.
This reply may be very easy, so I need to ensure it’s fully and impeccably clear: Department doesn’t promote our prospects’ person knowledge. We by no means have, and we by no means will. This has been one in all our core rules going again to the start of the corporate.
However how did this case occur?
I may finish this weblog put up proper right here. However I do know no less than just a few readers will need to perceive why we’re having this dialog within the first place. The advert tech ecosystem is advanced, and we don’t at all times do a great job of explaining issues in a method that is smart for individuals outdoors the circle.
In Kochava’s case, the FTC lawsuit stems from a unique line of enterprise often called the Kochava Collective. That is fully separate from Kochava’s MMP (which supplies advert attribution), and doesn’t embody any knowledge collected by their MMP product (for a full clarification, right here is the open letter from Kochava’s CEO).
Why does this matter? Conserving buyer knowledge non-public and confidential is inherent to an MMP’s existence. Actually, it is a elementary tenet of what it means to be a cell measurement companion: we exist to function your trusted impartial arbiter, appearing in your behalf to supply correct and unbiased advert measurement. And simply to keep away from any confusion, there isn’t any legitimate purpose why an MMP would want entry to a person’s exact location coordinates (you may’t ship this type of geolocation knowledge to Department even if you happen to needed to — we will’t use it, and we don’t need it).
Sadly, the excellence between Kochava’s MMP providing and the Kochava Collective is nearly universally getting misplaced within the noise.
As a model, what must you be occupied with for the longer term?
Tales like this one will not be precisely new for the adtech {industry}, however the significance of person privateness has solely grown over the previous two years. This implies it should turn out to be much more crucial for manufacturers to rigorously contemplate the distributors they companion with, and to know not solely the danger of the merchandise they’re utilizing, but additionally any reputational dangers referring to the distributors that they choose.
Sure, any respectable MMP will hold your person knowledge non-public and confidential. That’s true by definition at this time, and is unlikely to vary in future. However on this new world, the place privateness has turn out to be an insanely advanced, three physique downside and information tales about person privateness and knowledge safety can unfold like wildfire, firms have to have a look at an excellent greater image: are there different areas of reputational publicity referring to this vendor that might harm my model?
On the finish of the day, you can’t succeed within the digital world with out working with companions, so it’s crucial to ensure you’re maintaining good firm. At Department, our dedication is to be an industry-leading MMP and a companion that you may be proud to work with.
Head of Product and Market Technique
Alex joined Department as a Developer Advocate in 2016, and helped construct the corporate’s early developer relations and long-tail adoption methods. He works intently with groups throughout the group to assist form Department’s place within the cell ecosystem, writes the Cell Progress Publication, and tweets repeatedly about mobile-related matters at @alexdbauer.
Sep 14, 2022
