Ad Tech Briefing: The Open Internet's factions spar, as Big Tech players are in a dead heat for gold

"Prebid responded to intense buy-side criticism by updating its open-source framework to give publishers a choice between global or supply-side platform-specific Transaction IDs when enabling the signal (see above), ultimately softening its earlier stance. Separately, AWS scaled its proprietary ad ecosystems into cloud-fueled, AI-driven warfare, with many interpreting it as a response to GCP making overtures to ad tech clients - apparently, both claim such players as home turf."

"Buyers such as The Trade Desk saw fragmentation of the TID signal as a threat to supply-path optimization efforts - i.e., efficiencies vital to diverting ad budgets away from Walled Gardens. For, without a consistent identifier, DSPs can't tell whether multiple bid requests stem from the same impression - forcing them to pay for redundant bids and eroding trust in the open exchange."

Prebid.org changed how Transaction IDs (TIDs) are generated in its 10.9 update, triggering buyer concerns about fragmented identifiers that undermine supply-path optimization and drive redundant bidding. Buyers argue that inconsistent TIDs prevent DSPs from linking multiple bid requests to the same impression, leading to duplicate bids and eroded trust in open exchanges. The dispute pulled in buy- and sell-sides and the IAB Tech Lab. At the same time, Amazon Web Services expanded proprietary ad ecosystems into cloud- and AI-driven offerings seen as competitive responses to Google Cloud Platform, escalating a broader fight over digital ad infrastructure and revenue.

Read at Digiday