Google this month updated Google Ad Manager Partner Guidelines to include guidance over encrypted signals from publishers.
Publishers are able to share encrypted signals on RTB requests with the third-party bidders they choose. These encrypted signals can be created through a signal collection library (for example, JavaScript code) provided by the publisher itself, or by a bidder or third party that the publisher chooses to work with.
According to Google, when encrypted signals are used to pass data through Google’s systems to a buyer selected by the publisher, the publisher must ensure that the signal collection complies with all current laws and privacy requirements, and does not interfere or interact in any way with Google’s ad serving processes.
Google says this is the guidance for the new encrypted signals from publishers feature, currently in beta, and not yet available to all publishers using Ad Manager.
Google also states the data passed through Google’s systems via encrypted signals from a publisher must be encrypted such that the signals are meaningless to Google.
The data passed using the feature is exempted from the Invalid Activity provision under the Platforms program policies and the Identifying users provision of the Google Publisher Policies to the same extent as HTTP cookies or user resettable mobile device identifiers designed for use in advertising.