Today’s news: Sky Betting and Gaming Caught in Cookie Chaos; TikTok Takes On the US; IAB’s New Retail Media Standards

Bonne Terre Limited – trading as Sky Betting and Gaming – has been issued with a reprimand from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), after having landed itself in some cookie-related trouble for unlawfully tracking people’s data without consent. According to the ICO, Sky Betting and Gaming was processing people’s personal information and sharing it with ad tech companies before they had chosen whether to accept or reject cookies between 10th January to 3rd March 2023. After carrying out an investigation into Sky’s practices, the ICO concluded that the company was “processing personal data through the use of certain cookies in a way that was not lawful, transparent or fair.” 

Over in the US, TikTok’s fight against the US law which forces it to either be divested from its parent company, ByteDance, or be banned in the country is propelling at full force. Its appeal in the courtroom began at the start of this week, on the 16th September. Meanwhile, the deadline set for a divestiture – 19th January 2025 – edges closer. With no plans for a divestiture on the horizon, TikTok hopes to get the law blocked on the basis that it infringes on people’s right to freedom of speech, and is therefore unconstitutional. Reprehending the supposed national security concerns, TikTok stated that the ban would have a “staggering” impact on the freedom of speech of US users. Much of the US government’s evidence is classified, meaning that TikTok cannot actually see it due to national security risks. At the court hearing on Monday before a three-judge panel, Andrew Pincus – representing the video giant – pushed back against the idea that the video app is controlled by China. However, one judge suggested a “blinkered view” from TikTok, arguing that the law was not targeting the video platform specifically, but all foreign adversaries. 

In the retail media landscape, IAB Europe and IAB have released the first industry definitions and measurement standards for in-store retail media. The standards aim to address the rapidly expanding in-store retail media opportunities, offering unified definitions, measurement standards, and guidelines for ad formats and stone zones. They will be open for public comment until 1st November 2024. The standards build on the IAB/MRC Retail Media Measurement Guidelines and IAB Europe’s Retail Media Measurement Standards both released earlier this year. 

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