On Data Protection Day, Mobsta highlights industry demand for clearer data practices as AI complexity increases.

Data Protection Day presents an important opportunity to pause and reflect on how data is being used across the advertising industry - and what trust really looks like in practice.

According to conversations Mobsta has been having with agencies and brands, transparency is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s becoming fundamental.

At Mobsta’s most recent Future of Media masterclass, attended by a fully packed room of industry leaders, the message was clear: as data and AI become more complex, transparency and explainability matter more than ever.

From the brand perspective, Teodora, Media Manager at Aviva, spoke about how “transparency around what you’re actually getting - from data through to measurement - is what helps build trust.”

Lisa Boyles of giffgaff reinforced the responsibility that comes with richer data, noting that “what matters is being clear about how it’s used, what outcomes it’s driving, and making sure it’s done in a responsible way.”

That context underpins how Mobsta builds its technology stack. Mobsta makes deliberate choices about how its agentic AI technology is designed. The company does not create profiles or track individuals. Instead, it focuses on thousands of real-world data signals to understand what is happening in the moment: the context, the location, the environment, and why it might matter.

As Jack Burton, Head of Product at Mobsta, explains:

“By keeping decisioning explainable and operating on aggregated, non-persistent data, we’ve built a stack where privacy-safe advertising is the default, not an add-on.”

That product philosophy is matched by how campaigns are delivered day to day. Sophie Cunningham, Head of Client Operations at Mobsta, adds:

“Trust is a core principle at Mobsta, written on our office walls and central to our client charter.”

For Mobsta, transparency and data integrity are not positioning statements - they guide everyday decisions, both in product development and in practice. And as the industry continues to evolve, they remain principles the company is committed to discussing openly.