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RAEKFirstPartyData

Third-Party Data

Third-party data is information collected by an organization that has no direct relationship with the people it describes, then aggregated and sold to others. Because it is pooled from many sources and resold widely, it tends to be less accurate, less fresh, and harder to verify than first-party data.

Third-party data powered much of the open-web advertising ecosystem through third-party cookies and data brokers. Buyers could rent audience segments without ever collecting the data themselves.

As browsers restrict third-party cookies and privacy regulation tightens, third-party data is becoming less reliable and less available. The strategic response is to invest in first-party data you collect and own.

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