Tapad

Tapad is a technology company that provides cross-device identity solutions for digital advertising. Its core offering is a device graph that links multiple devices—such as smartphones, tablets, desktops, and connected devices—to a single user, enabling cross-device targeting, deduplicated measurement, and cross-channel attribution.

The company’s technology combines signals from data partners, publishers, and advertisers to link devices through probabilistic and deterministic matching. The resulting identity graph supports cross-device audience segments, reach and frequency measurement across channels, and more consistent attribution of campaigns that touch users on different devices. Tapad emphasizes privacy-conscious data use and provides controls for opt-out, aligning with applicable privacy laws and industry guidelines.

Founded in 2010 by Are Traasdahl in New York City, Tapad grew to become a notable player in the ad tech ecosystem by focusing on identity resolution across devices. Over the years, it formed partnerships with publishers, advertisers, and data providers to build and leverage its device graph for marketing campaigns and measurement. The company’s work contributed to broader industry discussions about how to reconcile effective cross-device advertising with privacy protections.

In the regulatory context, Tapad states its operations comply with relevant data protection laws, such as general data privacy frameworks, and adheres to contractual commitments with its partners. As with other cross-device identity providers, its practices are influenced by evolving privacy regulations and industry standards intended to protect user privacy while enabling measurement and targeting.