Real-Time Bidding (RTB) / Programmatic Advertising
Bid Request Contents (OpenRTB 2.5/2.6 spec)
- Device ID (IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android)
- IP address
- GPS-precise latitude/longitude
- User-Agent string
- Exact page URL being visited
- Page content categories (IAB taxonomy)
- User segment/interest data
- Age, gender
- Carrier info
Spec: https://iabtechlab.com/standards/openrtb/
Volume
- Google Authorized Buyers: 747 billion bid requests in the US in 2019
- Google global: ~4.4 trillion bid requests in 2019
- Total global RTB across all exchanges: hundreds of billions per day
Data Distribution
Each bid request broadcast simultaneously to dozens to hundreds of entities (DSPs, SSPs, ad exchanges, data management platforms). Every entity that receives the bid request obtains the personal data whether or not they win the auction or buy the ad.
ICCL Report (May 2022)
Dr. Johnny Ryan / Irish Council for Civil Liberties. Called RTB “the biggest data breach ever recorded.” Documented that RTB broadcasts expose inferred health conditions, sexual orientation, and political leanings billions of times daily.
Targeting a Single Person with Ads
Chris Seline → Reddit CEO (2018)
Used Facebook Ads to target one specific person: the CEO of Reddit. Spent $10. Ad reached 197 people, 4 clicked, one was the Reddit CEO. Reddit HR reached out to schedule an interview. (He did not ultimately get hired — they offered a different role, couldn’t agree on remote work.)
Demonstrates that programmatic advertising can be used to reach a single individual with targeted messaging for minimal cost.
Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17110385
Geofencing for Individual Targeting
Recruiters routinely geofence competitor office buildings to serve ads to employees at specific companies. Can target a single building, floor, or even a specific office. Combined with demographic/job title targeting, this can narrow audience to a handful of people or effectively one person.