Link to original MediaPost article

Wouldn't it be nice if users' privacy concerns were handled and mobile had an answer to the missing cookie? At Cannes this morning, PubMatic, AdTruth, MediaMath, and Truste announced a new technology that they hope will accomplish just that — all in one.

The technology is not unique to mobile — it's usable for desktop and tablet as well —  but the device identification tech should be a welcome sight in the mobile space.

In terms of privacy, the technology follows Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) standards and guidelines, and offers consumers opt-in or opt-out capabilities. It essentially lets a consumer know what's going on with the advertisements surrounding them online.

RTM Daily asked Bob Walczak, VP mobile, Pubmatic, why advertisers should be excited about the privacy features. "Many reasons," he said, "[but] at the end of the day, it's the right thing to do. The market is operated by consumers. Thinking about privacy first is the right way to let the market grow and flourish."

AdTruth is used to provide the device identification tech, while Truste provides the privacy system. As Walczak put it, it's "pairing privacy with identification." While that sounds like an oxymoron, Walczak argued that it's not.

"The fact is that the ad industry operates on giving the right message to the right person, so the identification system gives a person a choice if they want in or not," he said. "It's a privacy safe way for identification to exist."