Google will now allow advertisers to use IP addresses in ad targeting, going against a long-held privacy position against “fingerprinting.”
Google said it would implement IP usage through privacy-safe technology, and noted that the practice is common in the industry. Competitors like Amazon, Meta, and The Trade Desk already make use of IP addresses in their ad platforms.
Google wrote in its policy update:
“Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are already commonly used in the broader ads ecosystem to help marketers reach people across their customer journey and measure how their ads are working, especially on CTV.”
Google said it's making the change because it's become more comfortable with new privacy measures that can handle the data responsibly:
“Advances in privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) such as on-device processing, trusted execution environments, and secure multi-party computation, are unlocking new ways for brands to manage and activate their data safely. We’ve been working to integrate PETs such as confidential computing into our ads products to help businesses tailor their ads and measure results, in ways that allow them to securely use their first-party data without re-identifying users.”
Advocates Say: “It makes sense to use IPs as a baseline tracking system for CTV. It's the same as they do with e-mail now. The change will lead to more efficient ad buys.”
Opponents Say: “IP address tracking lends itself to ongoing tracking. It's bad for user privacy.”
The new policy is set to take effect on Feb 16, 2025.