> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://tvrev2beta2.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Rules Of Location Targeting Are Changing. What Advertisers Need To Know - URL: https://tvrev2beta2.ghost.io/the-rules-of-location-targeting-are-changing-what-advertisers-need-to-know/ - Published: 2026-10-28T16:00:31.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-28T16:41:37.000Z - Author: Geoff Katz - Tags: Thought Leaders Circle, #needs-byline, #byline-alex-kyle The rules around location targeting are changing fast. A growing wave of state privacy laws is putting new restrictions on how marketers can collect, use, and sell precise location data — and forcing advertisers to rethink which location-based tactics make sense going forward. For local and streaming TV advertisers, the message is clear: location targeting isn’t going away, but how location is used matters more than ever. **Why is precise location data getting more scrutiny?** Regulators are increasingly drawing a line around precise geolocation data that can identify a consumer or device within a narrowly defined geographic area. That distinction is significant: broad geographic or household-level signals are fundamentally different from data that can pinpoint a consumer or device to a specific location. States are increasingly putting specific restrictions around precise geolocation data. [Oregon](https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/id-theft-data-breaches/privacy/privacy-law-faqs-for-consumers/?ref=tvrev2beta2.ghost.io), [Virginia](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB338/text/SB338?%5Fhsmi=414212108&ref=tvrev2beta2.ghost.io), and [New Jersey](https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2026/PL26/25%5F.HTM?ref=tvrev2beta2.ghost.io) now prohibit its sale, while [Connecticut](https://www.venable.com/insights/publications/2026/07/2026-mid-year-state-privacy-law-update?ref=tvrev2beta2.ghost.io) has similar restrictions taking effect October 1, 2026. [Maryland](https://oag.maryland.gov/resources-info/Pages/data-privacy.aspx?ref=tvrev2beta2.ghost.io) goes further. Its Online Data Privacy Act classifies precise geolocation as sensitive data, prohibits its sale and limits its collection, processing or sharing to what is strictly necessary to provide a product or service requested by the consumer. Federal enforcement is reinforcing the trend. The FTC continues to scrutinize the collection, use and sale of precise location data, particularly when it can reveal visits to sensitive locations such as healthcare facilities and places of worship. **Why does this matter for location retargeting?** Traditional location retargeting often depends on a historical signal: a device was observed at a particular location, and that past visit is subsequently used to place the device into an audience for advertising. When that stored visitation history relies on precise geolocation data, it can fall within the category of data receiving heightened regulatory scrutiny. It can also make campaigns more complicated. Advertisers and their partners need to understand where the underlying location data came from, what consumers consented to, how long the information is retained, whether it is being sold or shared and whether particular locations require additional safeguards. Geofencing sensitive locations presents an especially clear risk, particularly when location data can reveal visits to healthcare facilities, religious organizations and other sensitive sites. **Is proximity targeting a more sustainable alternative?** For many advertisers, the changing landscape is an opportunity to rethink location strategy rather than abandon it. Proximity or radius-based targeting can provide a simpler path when it uses broader geographic or household-level signals rather than precise device-level geolocation data. This is particularly relevant for streaming TV advertisers, who can use geographic and household-level signals to reach audiences across specific markets and trade areas without relying on a history of where individual devices have been. A local advertiser, for example, can reach relevant households within a defined trade area without first creating an audience of devices observed visiting a particular business. That approach can reduce reliance on historical precise-geolocation datasets while still allowing marketers to build awareness and reach audiences in the communities that matter to their businesses. It can also simplify campaign execution and make privacy and consent requirements easier to manage, depending on the data and technology being used. **What should advertisers do now?** The direction of travel is increasingly clear: precise location history is becoming a more regulated and potentially higher-risk advertising signal. With states continuing to advance new privacy protections, this shift is unlikely to be temporary. Rather than reacting state by state, advertisers can start evolving their location strategies now. Three steps to consider: - **Audit how location data is being used.** Understand how location data is collected and activated across campaigns, including whether targeting relies on stored visitation history. - **Shift more location strategy toward proximity targeting.** Consider using approaches that reach relevant audiences based on geography with less dependence on historical device-location data. - **Build for where privacy regulation is heading.** Evaluate location targeting strategies with the longer term in mind rather than reacting as individual states introduce new requirements. **What does this look like in practice?** For a **regional auto dealer,** a campaign may have historically used location data to identify and retarget devices that visited competing dealerships, then used location signals to measure whether exposed consumers later visited the advertiser’s dealership. Going forward, the dealer could use proximity targeting to reach relevant households within its trade area, then use sales matchback to connect campaign exposure to actual vehicle sales. For a **local retailer,** location data may have been used to build audiences based on visits to competing stores and measure subsequent foot traffic. Instead, the retailer could use credit card purchase data to identify prospective audiences based on relevant purchase behaviors, then use sales matchback to evaluate actual sales outcomes. In both cases, advertisers can maintain locally relevant targeting and measure meaningful business outcomes while reducing dependence on historical location data. For local and streaming TV advertisers, this isn’t about giving up the power of location. It’s about evolving how audiences are reached and results are measured.