When integrating first-party data for custom audience creation, what is the minimum level of data encryption required before uploading to the Gemini platform to comply with privacy regulations?

The minimum acceptable level of data encryption when uploading first-party data to the Gemini platform for custom audience creation is SHA256 hashing. First-party data refers to information collected directly from your customers or website visitors. Custom audiences are tailored groups of users you define for targeted advertising. Encryption is the process of converting data into an unreadable format to protect its confidentiality. SHA256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit) is a cryptographic hash function that generates a unique, fixed-size 256-bit (32-byte) hash. Applying SHA256 hashing to data like email addresses or phone numbers before uploading transforms them into irreversible, anonymized strings. For instance, an email address 'user@example.com' would become a completely different, seemingly random string of characters after SHA256 hashing. This ensures that the actual raw data remains protected during transit and storage on Yahoo's servers, aligning with privacy regulations and protecting user information. The Gemini platform requires this hashing to protect personally identifiable information (PII) and comply with data privacy laws such as GDPR or CCPA. Failure to properly hash data before uploading it can result in data security breaches and non-compliance with regulations.