Proximic by Comscore’s third annual State of Programmatic Report for 2025 reveals a digital advertising industry at a turning point. While programmatic investment continues to grow and budgets shift towards new ad formats, one finding from this year’s report towers above the rest: ad impressions without IDs are no longer the exception, they're the rule.
54% of Mobile Impressions No Longer Have IDs
Comscore’s reporting shows that more than half of all mobile impressions (54%) and over a third of desktop impressions (36%) no longer contain a user identifier, including alternative identifiers. This lack of addressability underscores the urgency for marketers to adopt privacy-centric, ID-free solutions to maintain scale in their digital ad campaigns.
So, how are marketers adapting? They’re making three key moves, and we're breaking them down.
By the end of 2025, almost no marketers will be skipping out on cookie-free targeting, with only 1% saying they won’t adopt these strategies. That’s a steep drop from 18% in 2023, showing just how fast the industry is moving away from reliance on traditional IDs.
41% of marketers in 2025 identify contextual targeting as their primary approach to maintaining targeting effectiveness among the growth in privacy laws, slightly ahead of first-party data at 40%.
Furthermore, 54% of marketers plan to ramp up their use of contextual data in 2025, while only 5% say they’ll scale back. The strong commitment to contextual reflects an industry-wide shift toward targeting methods that don’t rely on personal identifiers.
With a majority of U.S. states having comprehensive or tailored privacy laws already signed or under consideration, regulatory restrictions are now unavoidable for anyone advertising across state lines. 60% of marketers say they’re ready to tackle the 2025 privacy regulations in the U.S., demonstrating growing confidence in navigating the country’s patchwork of privacy laws. Meanwhile, 35% feel somewhat prepared, and 5% admit they’re not ready, making it clear there’s still a need for more education and support to help marketers stay ahead of evolving privacy strategies.
The disappearance of user identifiers isn’t just a challenge, it’s a turning point. As the 2025 State of Programmatic report illustrates, privacy-centric behavioral and contextual data are charting the path forward, and it is the combination of these data types that will enable the future of addressable advertising. While innovation is accelerating, many marketers are still navigating the complexities of evolving regulations and shifting industry standards.
Staying ahead means embracing smarter, privacy-first solutions. Discover how Proximic by Comscore’s intelligent targeting solutions can help you future-proof your campaigns - contact us today.