Apple’s recent iOS 14.5 update, combined with the almost universal rejection of third-party cookies, paints a gloomy picture for behavioral targeting. So what’s next for this vast industry?

The digital advertising industry is an industry under threat. Third-party cookies, which play a critical part in behavioral targeting, are already being blocked by browsers such as Safari and Firefox by default. With Chrome due to follow suit in 2023, the resulting combination will lock up over 85% of the browser market.

However, the likely fatal blow to this multi-billion dollar sector has already come in the form of Apple’s iOS 14.5 update, which restricted access to data across all its mobile devices – currently just over a quarter of the global market. With so much stacked against it, behavioral targeting as we know it is coming to an end.

So where do advertisers go next? What will replace the third-party cookie? Is behavioral targeting dead? And what are the alternatives? Read on to find out all you need to know about behavioral targeting – its pros, its cons, and why contextual targeting has such a strong future.

What is behavioral targeting?

Behavioral targeting is a term used to describe a form of digital advertising that targets a specific individu