Fight against ad fraud reaches mile stone

We’re “one giant step closer” to tackling online ad fraud today as the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) and Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS) announce the adoption of a global certification programme.

‘Certified Against Fraud’, which has already launched in the US, will roll-out in the UK from January 2019. It is credited with reducing fraud in certified channels by 83% in the states.

“Quite simply, this is a game-changer for the UK,” said Richard Foan, executive chairman of JICWEBS.

“The battle against online ad fraud is global, and it’s best tackled with an aligned approach. By adopting TAG’s ‘Certified Against Fraud’ programme, the UK market will benefit from a proven approach that has delivered impressive results in the US.”
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The programme operates with the mantra ‘global standards for local markets’ and is designed to help demonstrate to government that the industry is able to self-regulate.

Some of the certification’s standards include employing specific technology and appointing an internal compliance officer, as well as “an extra level of rigour and transparency” by the deployment of mandatory and independent audits.

“UK advertisers need to see a step change in the way digital ad fraud is tackled to ensure their budgets are being protected,” said Phil Smith, director general of ISBA.

“They expect transparency in the advertising chain, and this announcement is an important step forward in achieving that.”

It is estimated that advertising fraud accounts for between 8% and 30% of global digital ad spend annually. Juniper Research estimates that fraudulent activity could cost the global market up to $44 billion by 2022.