Google’s Display and Video 360 (DV360) tool allowed advertisers to reach users based on highly specific attributes despite Google’s policies meant to prevent such practices. These include patients with chronic health conditions, financial difficulties, and even government officials employed in sensitive positions in the United States.
An investigation by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) found that DV360 allows companies to target U.S. users based on detailed characteristics, such as those living with fibromyalgia, hypertension, or asthma, as well as individuals experiencing financial hardships, including bankruptcy, reports Wired.
An internal spreadsheet from a U.S.-based data broker suggests that DV360 hosts thousands of such audience segments. While Google does not create these lists, advertisers upload them for precise targeting. Experts caution that when combined with other datasets, such as browsing history and mobile identifiers, these profiles could allow individuals to be identified despite anonymisation measures.
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that data on government employees, including U.S. judges, military personnel, and Capital Hill staff, was exposed. Some audience segments specifically target ‘decision makers’ in national security roles or employees of defence contractors dealing with classified information.
Threat actors, including state-backed hacker groups, could exploit these data segments for intelligence gathering, blackmail, or cyberattacks.
Google asserts that its policies prohibit the use of sensitive personal information for audience targeting. Company representatives claim that non-compliant audience segments are removed when detected.
Data brokers collect and refine consumer profiles using mobile device IDs, online activity, and real-time bidding (RTB) processes. While these tools enable precise ad targeting, they also create significant risks for privacy violations and misuse.
Google announced that the company is finally eliminating third-party tracking cookies. However, the tech company is introducing another, more invasive tracking method, digital fingerprinting.
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