Part V - Risks | Chapter 14

Technological Risks

Tracking erosion, cookie loss, browser restrictions, consent dependencies, and the challenges posed by AI SERPs and platform dependency.

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Core theses of the chapter

The tracking infrastructure that has supported partner marketing for two decades is eroding. Cookie deprecation, consent requirements, and app tracking transparency fundamentally reduce measurability.

AI SERPs and LLM gatekeepers transform visibility logic. The dependence on a few platforms (Google, Apple, Meta, OpenAI) creates systemic risks for the entire ecosystem.

Tables

The following tables systematize the core contents of the chapter.

Table 14.1: Overview of Technological Risk Dimensions

Risk dimension	Form	Affected partner types	Time horizon
Cookie Deprecation	Third-Party Cookies are being restricted or abolished	All partners with longer attribution windows	Acute to medium-term
Consent dependency	Tracking requires explicit user consent	All partners, especially in EU/UK	Permanent
App Tracking Transparency	iOS tracking only with opt-in	Mobile-focused partners, app advertisers	Permanent
AI SERPs	Traffic shift to zero-click searches	Content Partners, Comparison Portals, SEO Publishers	Medium-term to long-term
Platform dependency	Regulation changes by gatekeepers	Entire ecosystem	Permanent
Hybrid Attribution	Offline transactions not capturable	Voucher Partners, Offline Collaborations	Permanent
Adblocker	Tracking scripts and advertising materials are being blocked	All partners, especially display-dependent models	Permanent

Sources

The following sources were used in this chapter.

Skiera et al. Impact of ATT on Advertising (2024) Decline in trackable iOS users from 73% to 18%. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S...

SparkToro / Rand Fishkin Zero-Click Search Study 2024 58.5% of all Google searches without a click. sparktoro.com/blog/google-search-traffic-study-...

Ahrefs AI Overviews Impact Study 2024 Halved click rates with AI Overviews. ahrefs.com/blog/google-ai-overviews-study/

IAB Europe TCF Compliance Report 2024 885 vendors, 177 CMPs in the TCF ecosystem. iabeurope.eu/tcf-compliance/

APMA UK State of the Nation 2024 Technological Challenges in the UK Market. theapma.co.uk/apma-research/

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Chapter 15: Economic Risks

Status: January 2026
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