How children’s privacy laws complicate connected TV tracking practices

By Tim Peterson • January 16, 2024 •

Ivy Liu

The connected TV ad industry continues to rely on the IP address for tracking viewers and connecting CTV audiences with other devices in the household. However, this type of household-level tracking appears to fall into a legal gray area when it comes to children’s privacy law.

Laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act consider the IP address to be personal information, so collecting an IP address for a household that is known to be home to a child — and which can in turn be associated with that child — runs the risk of running afoul of privacy regulations. And with more children’s privacy regulations on the way — including a notice by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission of potential changes to the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act — the chances of children’s privacy laws conflicting with CTV tracking practices appear will likely rise.

In the video below, Digiday spoke with experts in privacy law, ad tech, children’s media and CTV to understand why complying with children’s privacy law on CTV can be so complicated.