AI in ad tech leaves a cookie trail across the web

The Register exposes a sprawling, cookie-heavy ad‑tech ecosystem driven by AI, listing dozens of vendors and the data they gather (IP addresses, device identifiers, precise locations, user profiles) with cookie durations spanning from days to years. While some vendors cite consent or legitimate interest, others rely on alternative storage or “no cookies,” underscoring the scale of online tracking and the resulting privacy and regulatory concerns.