For over two decades, the advertising industry has leaned heavily on surveillance capitalism—tracking behaviours, clicks, and crumbs of data scattered across the web to fuel ever-more personalised ads. But as third-party cookies crumble under the weight of regulation and consumer distrust, a new generation of startups is stepping up with a radical alternative: targeting based not on behaviour, but on consent, intent, and values.

Is it idealistic? Maybe. But it’s also gaining momentum.

The Rise of Zero-Party Data and Ethical Targeting

Where third-party data is collected passively—often without the user’s clear knowledge—zero-party data is different. It’s information a user intentionally and proactively shares with a brand. Think: a quiz that asks about your skincare needs, a survey about your sustainability preferences, or a values-based profile you complete during onboarding.

Startups betting on this model argue that the future of targeting lies not in watching people but in listening to them.

The Startups Changing the Game

1. Upsiide – Turning Insights Into Identity

Built by the team behind Dig Insights, Upsiide helps brands design interactive mobile surveys that feel more like BuzzFeed quizzes than traditional market research. These insights don’t just help shape products—they feed directly into ad targeting.

By analysing real-time declared intent (e.g., “I prefer plant-based snacks for health reasons”), advertisers can create high-res customer segments based on self-declared motivations, not inferred signals. The result? Less guesswork, more transparency—and perhaps a more loyal consumer base.

2. Jebbit – Quiz-Driven Zero-Party Data Collection

Jebbit helps brands create “experience-based” lead capture—interactive content like style finders or travel quizzes that feel valuable to the user. The data collected not only feeds personalisation but also gives users full visibility into what they’ve shared.

Crucially, Jebbit positions this data not as a byproduct, but as a relationship asset. This is a massive shift in tone for an industry long focused on surveillance.

Is This Really Scalable?

Critics argue that ethical targeting sounds great in theory but lacks the scale and precision of behavioural models. It’s a fair point: declared intent may be more honest, but it’s also harder to collect. What if users don’t want to fill out a profile? What if the data dries up?

But that’s missing the larger shift. The value exchange is changing. Users are becoming more aware of how their data is used—and increasingly expect brands to be upfront about it. According to a 2024 Cisco report, 81% of consumers say the way a company treats their data is indicative of its overall brand ethics.

And let's not forget that Apple’s App Tracking Transparency framework caused a $10 billion hit to Meta’s ad revenue in 2022. Privacy is no longer a niche concern—it’s affecting the bottom line.

The Opportunity: Targeting by Values

What’s most exciting isn’t just the tech—it’s the potential for values-based marketing. Imagine an ad not just targeted because someone is “a woman aged 35-44 who visited a fitness site” but because she told a brand she’s prioritizing mental wellness and reducing waste in 2025.

That kind of targeting isn't just effective—it's meaningful. It invites brands to connect with consumers on shared ethics, not just shared cookies.

From Surveillance to Symbiosis

We’re moving from the age of behavioural surveillance to one of ethical symbiosis—a relationship where consumers voluntarily share data in exchange for better experiences, and where brands build trust rather than track it.

It’s not just about replacing cookies. It’s about rewriting the rules of relevance.

The question isn’t whether ethical data will replace behavioral targeting. The question is: what kind of marketing ecosystem do we want to build next?