Consent online is getting another look. Specifically, when it comes to targeted ads that are “consent-based.” Global data protection authorities say that online consent is rarely meaningful. And a crackdown in Europe is already underway. Read more below about what could come next.

• Regulators have doubts that promises of consent-based data collection by digital publishers and advertisers are based on genuine user consent.
• This week's Digiday+ Media Briefing recaps what was said when publishing executives came together behind closed doors at this week's Digiday Publishing Summit.
• The pandemic has created a new business opportunity for tech players that want to help ensure vaccine mandates.
• Publishers’ sudden shift to remote work has left many vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. Dotdash CTO Nabil Ahmad shares how they protect their employees and tech infrastructure from hackers, and how other publishers should do the same. More in this Digiday+ case study.
• As data privacy measures continue to wreak havoc on digital advertising, a DTC company is getting back to the basics with television advertising.
• The virtual mascot can be found in The City, a mini-metaverse of sorts where NBA2K players can congregate before and after games.
• TikTok's variety of ad formats, and their integration into the content in a way that’s less interruptive than traditional ads, seems to contribute to their appeal to users.