Glossary/Privacy & Identity/Third-Party Data
Privacy & Identity
Third-Party Data
Data collected by companies with no direct relationship to the consumer and sold to others.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Appears in Lesson 6 of Programmatic 101
Short answer
Third-party data is information collected by companies with no direct relationship to the consumers it describes, then aggregated and sold to other businesses. It typically comes from many sources and is packaged into audience segments by data brokers. Privacy regulations, consent requirements, and cookie restrictions have reduced its availability, accuracy, and appeal for advertisers.