Episode 8: Garrett McGrath of Magnite on Sandbox and the CMA

The latest episode of the Monopoly Report dives deep into the complexities surrounding Google's Privacy Sandbox and the implications of the deprecation of third-party cookies. Host Alan Chappelle welcomes Garrett McGrath, SVP of product at Magnite and board chair for Prebid, to discuss the challenges and nuances of the evolving ad tech landscape. They explore the UK Competition and Markets Authority's investigation into Google's plans and the potential impact on competition within the advertising ecosystem. Garrett sheds light on the technical intricacies of the new APIs, emphasizing concerns about latency and the inherent advantages they may provide Google over competitors. As the conversation unfolds, they also reflect on the broader ramifications for publishers and the open internet, questioning whether the industry's focus on the Privacy Sandbox has diverted critical resources and attention from more pressing issues.

Takeaways:

• The UK Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Google's deprecation of third-party cookies and its competitive impact.
• Garrett McGrath emphasizes the challenging nature of the W3C working group's process and alignment issues.
• Google's decision to offer a choice prompt regarding third-party cookies raises questions about user privacy and competition.
• The recent CMA reports suggest a governance framework that might allow Google to self-regulate its practices.
• Garrett expresses concerns about the potential negative effects of the Privacy Sandbox on the open internet.
• The effectiveness of on-device auctions in browsers remains untested at scale, raising practical concerns.

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