Dive summary:
- Changes to privacy laws, in particular COPPA, have put a strain on sites aimed at children; as part of the new regulations, kids' sites cannot track users under 13, thus eliminating revenue from behaviorally-targeted ads.
- The regulations extend to include not just photos and personally identifying information, but also IP addresses and mobile device IDs that help identify where users are accessing the site.
- Judy Miller, founder of Apples4TheTeacher, saw her cost of ads drop from $3 per thousand impressions to $0.32 after ad network Casale pulled behavioral ads from her site.
From the article:
"One large ad network which asked to remain anonymous has yet to make changes to accommodate kids' site publishers, in part because of the technical work required and in part because the company is unsure about its liability and what would constitute a safe harbor. The network also suggested that it's rare for advertisers to target children with behavioral ads."
