IAB Tech Lab, the global digital advertising technical standards-setting body, announced the launch of Trusted Server. This new open-source server-side ad management framework gives publishers complete control over ad monetization in an era of increasing browser restrictions and signal loss. Built as an open-source industry solution, Trusted Server shifts critical advertising functions away from the browser and into publisher-operated infrastructure—preserving first-party signal, enhancing privacy compliance, and mitigating publisher data leakage to support a more resilient approach to programmatic advertising.
“Enough is enough. The digital media industry has been playing defense for too long—watching browsers dictate the rules while publishers lose revenue,” said Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab. “Trusted Server flips the script. We’re giving power back to the publishers to run their own advertising middle layer, ensuring granular data control and security. This is a line in the sand. Either the digital media ecosystem takes control of its destiny or we watch the open web shrink even further.”
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Trusted Server Puts Publishers Back in the Driver’s Seat
Browsers like Safari and Chrome have been tightening their grip on digital advertising, stripping away key signals – like third-party cookies and IP addresses, etc. – and entire monetization capabilities in the name of privacy, making it harder for publishers to sustain their businesses.
Katsur continued, “It’s not just Chrome and Safari—these restrictions are widespread across browsers. The W3C is also considering widespread changes to browser standards that could further limit publisher visibility and control of their audience data. If this trend continues, publishers risk losing their ability to optimize ad revenue and stay competitive. But the industry isn’t standing by and letting it happen.”
SOURCE: PRNewswire