If there’s one person who could navigate the mind-numbing intricacies of the digital ad ecosystem and still walk away with a smirk, it’s Anthony Katsur. I really like this guy.
As the CEO of IAB Tech Lab, Katsur doesn’t just know where the proverbial bodies are buried in the industry—he probably had a hand in digging a few of those graves. We’ve had him on The ADOTAT Show before, and it’s no surprise we had to bring him back for more, because when someone’s juggling privacy standards, cookie apocalypses, and CTV chaos, there’s always a fresh fire to put out or a new digital labyrinth to untangle.
Katsur has been at the heart of adtech long enough to watch entire fads rise, fall, and be recycled under different names, all while keeping a straight face. He’s seen Google play chicken with the entire industry over cookies, the Wild West of Connected TV (CTV) grow into an unruly toddler on a sugar high, and witnessed privacy standards evolve from corporate jargon to full-blown regulatory gauntlets. And now, here he is, talking to us about the latest curveballs coming at the adtech world—curveballs that he’s not just watching but actively trying to bat away.
Three Years of Digital Firefighting: Katsur’s Take on Surviving IAB Tech Lab’s Rollercoaster
Most people might celebrate their three-year work anniversary with a cake or a half-hearted office party, but Anthony Katsur? He’s been wrangling the chaos of digital advertising at IAB Tech Lab for three years, and he’s still standing—barely. And when I say barely, I mean this man’s had his hands in so many fires that it’s a wonder he’s still got skin left.
When I asked Katsur about his most “I can’t believe this is my job” moment, the list was long and storied. From analyzing the Privacy Sandbox (more on that nightmare later) to rubbing shoulders with tech gods like Scott Galloway and Kara Swisher, Katsur’s had his share of “what is happening right now?” moments. But let’s get one thing straight—he’s not just there to shake hands and kiss babies. He’s orchestrating some of the most critical conversations about the future of digital advertising, and he’s loving every second of the insanity.
The real kicker came with the Tech Lab’s analysis of Google’s Privacy Sandbox last year, a watershed moment where Katsur’s team didn’t just poke holes in Google’s shiny new ideas—they used a flamethrower. And for good reason: the Sandbox, as it stands, could decimate publisher revenue while leaving adtech scrambling for cover. It’s like being invited to a party where the host forgot to buy snacks and then asked you to foot the bill. Katsur? He’s not afraid to call it like he sees it, even when Google’s the one holding the purse strings.
But let’s not kid ourselves—the guy thrives on this madness. He loves his job, and in an industry that’s been flipping tables and reinventing itself faster than a toddler hyped up on Pixy Stix, that’s saying something.
Cookies and the Apocalypse That Wasn’t
Remember when Google told us they were finally going to pull the plug on third-party cookies? Well, here we are, years later, and cookies are still hanging on for dear life. Every time we brace ourselves for the big moment, Google hits us with another delay like a broken record that won’t stop skipping. It’s like we’re all trapped in some surreal waiting room where the receptionist keeps saying, “The doctor will be right with you,” but the doctor’s halfway to Tulum sipping a margarita.
So, how does Katsur feel about this digital limbo? Is he rolling his eyes every time Google pulls another fast one? Not quite. In fact, Katsur has more sympathy for the search giant than you’d expect. According to him, what Google’s trying to do is a herculean task. They’re playing tug-of-war with privacy regulations, advertising use cases, and the relentless demands of regulators like the CMA in the UK. It’s a balancing act that makes the Flying Wallendas look like amateurs.
But don’t mistake Katsur’s sympathy for leniency. He’s quick to point out that while the third-party cookie might not be the sole cause of privacy woes, it’s certainly been the whipping boy of the digital advertising world. Cookies, he says, have been abused and over-promised, a scapegoat for privacy issues when the real problem lies in how they’ve been used. Katsur sums it up perfectly with one of his now-famous analogies: “Blaming the cookie for privacy lapses is like blaming the car for a drunk driving accident.” You know, it’s not really the cookie’s fault, but we’ve all let things get a little out of hand.
So where does that leave us? According to Katsur, the third-party cookie is already halfway in the grave—Apple and Mozilla have already dumped it like last season’s fashion trends. For Google, it’s not a question of if, but when. And when the time comes, we’ll all need to find a new data crutch. Luckily, Katsur’s got a plan for that, too.
The Global Privacy Platform: A Lifeline or a Lead Balloon?
Enter the Global Privacy Platform (GPP), Katsur’s pride and joy—a set of standards meant to help the ad industry navigate the stormy seas of global privacy laws. Sounds great, right? Well, sure, if you can get companies to actually adopt it. While dozens of companies have already signed on, from big publishers to major adtech players, there’s still a sense of dragging feet. It’s the age-old dilemma: everyone loves the idea of compliance… as long as someone else does the heavy lifting.
When I cheekily asked if some companies were just hoping regulators would get bored and move on, Katsur didn’t hold back. “No one is under the illusion that regulators are just going to forget about privacy,” he says. And he’s right. We’re in the early stages of what Katsur calls a “new privacy regime,” one that kicked off with the GDPR and has since spread like wildfire across the globe.
Now, every corner of the world has its own privacy standards, from California’s stringent laws to the comprehensive regulations coming down the pipeline in India. It’s like an endless game of regulatory whack-a-mole, and Katsur’s GPP is the hammer we’re supposed to use to keep up.
But here’s the catch: implementing privacy standards isn’t cheap, and it’s definitely not quick. For most companies, it’s not a question of cost, but of resources. Getting privacy compliance slotted into the corporate roadmap is like trying to add a new track to a high-speed train—good luck fitting that in without derailing everything else. Katsur, though, remains confident. He knows that privacy isn’t going away anytime soon, and the companies that fail to get on board will be left scrambling when the hammer finally comes down.
CTV: The Toddler on a Sugar High
Now, let’s talk about the wildest ride in adtech today: Connected TV. If the digital ad ecosystem were a zoo, CTV would be the cage where they keep the hyperactive toddler who’s just downed a 64-ounce Big Gulp. The energy is off the charts, the rules are nonexistent, and no one quite knows how to wrangle it all. But Anthony Katsur? He’s got a plan—or at least he’s working on one.
According to Katsur, CTV is the final frontier of advertising. It’s like space, uncharted and full of potential, but also littered with technical debris that needs serious cleanup. One of the biggest challenges? Creative formats. There’s no standardization, no agreed-upon definitions of what makes a pause ad, a squeeze ad, or any other format you can imagine. It’s like trying to build a skyscraper when no one can agree on what a brick looks like.
But the chaos doesn’t stop there. Katsur points out that the industry is obsessed with treating linear TV and streaming as a zero-sum game. As linear TV declines, streaming supposedly wins by default. But Katsur sees things differently. He envisions a world where advertisers don’t care whether their ads are delivered through a satellite dish, rabbit ears, or streaming. All that matters is getting their brand in front of consumers on that big flat screen hanging on your wall.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. With fragmented data sets, inconsistent audience definitions, and creative IDs spread across 14 different global frameworks, it’s a wonder anyone’s figured out how to advertise on CTV at all. But Katsur’s Tech Lab is on the case. They’ve developed the Ad Creative ID Framework to bring some much-needed order to the chaos. The goal? Universal reconciliation across screens and streamers, because if we can’t agree on how to measure ads, what’s the point?
AI: Messiah or Grim Reaper?
Ah, AI—the tech world’s favorite boogeyman. Depending on who you ask, it’s either going to steal all our jobs or usher in a new golden age of productivity and innovation. Katsur? He’s somewhere in the middle. While he acknowledges that AI will disrupt the industry (and probably put a few people out of work), he doesn’t think we’re quite ready for the apocalyptic AI takeover just yet.
Katsur sees AI’s biggest potential in two areas: dynamic creative and contextual relevance. Let’s be real—ad personalization has always been the holy grail of marketing, and AI just might be the tool we need to finally make it happen. Katsur’s especially bullish on dynamic creative, where AI can tailor ads to individual viewers on the fly. It’s like having a personal ad agency in your pocket, and it’s only going to get more sophisticated from here.
But AI isn’t without its dark side. There’s real concern about AI bias, the kind that perpetuates harmful stereotypes and reinforces societal divisions. Katsur’s answer? Open-source AI models. If we can peer under the hood of these algorithms and see how they’re built, we can root out the biases before they cause any real harm. Transparency, as always, is Katsur’s go-to solution.
The Katsur Legacy: Grit, Innovation, and Leaving the Industry Better Than He Found It
When you ask Anthony Katsur about his future in adtech, he’s not aiming for sainthood. He’s not even trying to be the guy who “saved” adtech from itself. What he wants is much simpler, and infinitely harder: to leave the industry better than he found it.
Katsur’s proud of the work the Tech Lab has done over the past three years. He’s pushed the organization to move faster, innovate more aggressively, and set standards that keep the industry ahead of the curve. But he’s also keenly aware that the adtech ecosystem is a thankless beast. No matter how much progress he makes, someone’s always upset. But that’s the nature of the job, and Katsur’s got the grit to handle it.
His legacy, he hopes, will be one of transparency, integrity, and a relentless drive to push the industry forward—even when it didn’t want to be pushed. He wants to be remembered as the guy who didn’t just follow the rules but helped rewrite them.
As for the future? Katsur’s always thinking five years ahead, planning for challenges that most of us haven’t even begun to consider. Whether it’s privacy, CTV, or AI, he’s confident that with the right approach, the adtech world can not only survive but thrive. And if he has his way, the internet might just be a little less annoying by the time he’s done.
