The ICO exists to empower you through information.

In February 2019 the ICO launched a review of Real-Time Bidding (RTB) due to its complexity and scale, the risks posed to the rights and freedoms of individuals and the complaints the ICO has received.

It is an area that has evolved and grown rapidly in recent years and is underpinned by advertising technology (adtech), allowing advertisers to compete for available digital advertising space in milliseconds, placing billions of online adverts on webpages and apps in the UK every day by automated means.

This page will be updated as and when developments arise as part of the review.

Adtech blogs

Reports

Fact Finding Forum 2, 19 November 2019 - slide presentations

Fact Finding Forum 1, 6 March 2019 - summary report

The Fact Finding Forum was designed to help the ICO better understand the key data protection issues around adtech, and in particular around Real Time Bidding (RTB) in programmatic advertising, by listening to stakeholders’ ideas, concerns and challenges.