With almost two thirds of internet users saying that they worry about how their personal data is being used by companies, it’s no wonder that many are choosing to act on these online privacy concerns.
Globally, 36% of internet users are deleting cookies each month and 18% are using anti-tracking software to stop companies from monitoring their online activities. And in North America, these figures reach even higher, with 4 in 10 deleting cookies and over a fifth using anti-trackers.
These ‘invisible’ digital consumers pose a significant challenge to online targeting, measurement and personalization, all of which utilize cookie data to customize the end-user experience and display relevant ads to users based on perceived interests. And with many people choosing to block ads due to irrelevant and intrusive content, it’s clear the industry needs to do more to convince and educate users about the benefits and trade-offs involved in this online tracking and targeting.