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AcuityAds, now illumin, is a programmatic advertising platform that uses cookies and pixels to build audience profiles and serve targeted and retargeted ads across the web.
AcuityAds, now branded illumin, is a programmatic advertising and demand side platform. It uses a JavaScript tag, cookies and pixels to recognise visitors, build audience segments and serve targeted and retargeted advertising across publisher websites.
It stores an advertising identifier and synchronises it with ad exchanges, collecting browsing signals, device data, approximate location and ad interaction events. This data feeds cross site profiling used to decide which ads to show.
Advertising cookies are never strictly necessary, so the ePrivacy Directive requires prior consent before the tag loads. The profiling and identifier sharing also constitute personal data processing under the GDPR, and the cross site nature raises the risk level.
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Load the AcuityAds tag only after the visitor gives freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous consent for advertising. The consent must be as easy to refuse as to accept, and withdrawing it should stop the tag from firing on future visits.
Processing takes place in Canada and the United States and involves multiple advertising partners. Canada benefits from an adequacy decision, but United States and other partner transfers need standard contractual clauses and a transfer impact assessment, documented in your records.
Integrate AcuityAds with your consent platform and, where relevant, the IAB TCF so it only runs for the advertising purpose the visitor accepted. Disclose the partners, set retention limits, and keep your cookie policy and privacy notice describing the profiling and transfers.
Websites using AcuityAds must obtain user consent under GDPR regulations.
DPIA considerations
Programmatic advertising builds behavioural profiles and shares identifiers with many partners, which is higher risk processing. A DPIA is recommended to map the data sharing, profiling logic, retention and the international transfers involved.
Sample consent text
With your consent we use AcuityAds to show you relevant advertising. This sets advertising cookies and shares an identifier with ad partners; you can decline without losing access to the site.
Third-party domains contacted
acuityplatform.comacuityads.comillumin.comCookies placed
| Name | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| u | Advertising | 1 year | Stores a unique advertising identifier used to build interest profiles and serve retargeted advertising across sites. |
| acuity_match | Advertising | 90 days | Used to synchronise the advertising identifier with partner ad exchanges for cross site targeting. |
AcuityAds places tracking cookies for advertising — comply with GDPR using FlowConsent.
It sets advertising cookies holding a unique identifier used to build interest profiles and serve retargeted ads, plus cookies that synchronise that identifier with ad exchanges. These are non essential marketing cookies.
Yes. Advertising cookies and cross site profiling always require prior, freely given consent before the tag loads. Without consent the tag should not run.
The legal basis is consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). Legitimate interest is not appropriate for cross site advertising profiling under the ePrivacy and GDPR framework.
Yes. Processing involves Canada and the United States and many partners. Canada has an adequacy decision, but United States transfers require standard contractual clauses and a transfer impact assessment.
Yes, usually. Large scale behavioural profiling and identifier sharing across partners is higher risk, so a DPIA should document the data flows, profiling, retention and transfers.
Connect it to your consent banner and the IAB TCF where used, block it before consent, disclose partners and set retention limits. Test that no advertising cookies appear until the visitor opts in.
Other programmatic platforms include The Trade Desk, Adform, StackAdapt and Criteo. For EU campaigns prefer partners with strong TCF support and clear transfer safeguards.
List the AcuityAds advertising cookies and the partner sharing, and describe the profiling and international transfers. Review after any change to your ad partners or tag configuration.