Don’t Sleep On Maryland’s Strict New Data Privacy Law
Since 2018, 19 US states, including Maryland, have enacted comprehensive data privacy laws. Maryland’s Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA), effective October 2025, stands out as one of the toughest. MODPA not only bans the sale of sensitive personal data but also imposes strict limitations on collecting and processing personal information, requiring it to be “strictly necessary” for consumer-requested services. This law has the lowest applicability threshold among state privacy laws, affecting businesses that process data for as few as 35,000 consumers. Compliance may be challenging, prompting experts to advise hiring specialized legal counsel.
Criteo Announces CEO Succession Plan
Criteo’s CEO, Megan Clarken, announced her intention to retire within the next 12 months. She will continue as CEO until a successor is named and will then transition to a senior advisor role. The Board has begun a search for her replacement, engaging Heidrick & Struggles to evaluate candidates. Clarken has been pivotal in transforming Criteo into a leading AdTech platform in Retail and Commerce Media. The Board expressed confidence in the company’s strategy and leadership, ensuring a smooth transition while continuing to drive Criteo’s vision forward.
Netflix deepens ad tech ties with clean rooms
Netflix is expanding its advertising business by partnering with Snowflake, LiveRamp, and InfoSum to offer advertisers access to clean rooms, a privacy technology that enables secure data sharing across platforms. These partnerships will allow advertisers to measure audience overlap, reach, frequency, and last-touch attribution. Netflix, which generated $9.6 billion in Q2 2024, has been steadily building its ad platform since 2022. Despite progress, some ad buyers are frustrated with the slow growth of its ad-supported tier. Netflix plans to roll out its own in-house ad server by 2025.
Thanks To The DOJ, We Now Know What Google Really Thought About Header Bidding
The Department of Justice is set to begin a trial against Google on September 9, alleging the company maintains an illegal monopoly in the digital advertising market. Recently unsealed documents reveal Google’s internal strategies to counter header bidding, a method used by publishers to bypass Google’s dominance. Google introduced tools like DFP First Look and open bidding to neutralize this threat and maintain its market advantage. The trial will focus on Google’s manipulation of auction dynamics to favor its own ad exchange and the impact of its practices on rival exchanges.