A UK company that provides an ethical alternative to the ad tracking techniques used by tech giants such as Facebook and Google has raised a £1.5m investment to build its global presence.  CitizenMe has secured funding from the North East Venture Fund (NEVF), supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Mercia, alongside funds from 1818 Capital and private investors.  The platform was developed in response to concerns over current practices, where consumers’ data is collected via apps or website cookies and may be used by multiple companies for marketing purposes.