Integral Ad Science (IAS), the global leader in digital ad verification, surveyed over 1,000 consumers in Singapore and Indonesia about online data collection, data privacy, and targeted advertising to understand how they perceive data privacy and digital advertising practices amid growing data privacy regulations. 

Consumers are spending more time online than ever and more time browsing means more opportunities to collect data and consumers know it: 8 out of 10 consumers in Singapore and Indonesia say they're aware that websites and apps collect and share their data for advertising purposes. As well, consumers are quite savvy about privacy, with 71% of Singapore consumers and 93% of Indonesia consumers aware of some kind of data privacy regulations that govern the collection and usage of their personal information.

56% of Singapore consumers and 49% of Indonesia consumers hold themselves most accountable for keeping their personal information secure and are starting to take action to help limit online data collection with a majority of them clearing or deleting their browser history (Singapore 68% and Indonesia at 62%).

When it comes to targeting preferences, almost half of consumers have voted for relevancy in targeting, with 49% of Singapore and 50% of Indonesia consumers being receptive to some form of contextual targeting (ads relevant to the content of the site you are on and/or the content you are currently consuming). With the deprecation of cookies underway, behavioural targeting (ads based on what someone has previously purchased online and/or their recent browsing and search history) will be much more difficult and contextual targeting will become a proxy for audience data.

The majority of Singapore consumers are willing to share personal data with shopping (53%) and social media (50%) apps/websites for a more relevant and personalised ad experience. In Indonesia, 65% of consumers are willing to share their personal information on social media for relevant targeting and 57% for targeted email/messaging.

“Traditional methods of reaching consumers might be limited by new privacy legislation and shifting consumer preferences, but strategic advertising doesn’t end there,” Laura Quigley, Managing Director, SEA said. “Context matters. Targeting based on context is an innovative solution to current market conditions and it’s what consumers prefer. Advertisers have a real opportunity to make an impact without sacrificing specificity.”