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Industry announces next stage in fight to tackle online ad fraud

JICWEBS – the independent body that defines best practice and standards for trusted online ad trading in the UK – has announced the next stage in the move to tackle online ad fraud.

Companies that provide anti-fraud products can now sign-up with JICWEBS for an independent audit from ABC to verify how they reduce the risk of fraudulent ads being served. Those successfully demonstrating how their products deal with 16 different sources of fraud listed in JICWEBS’ taxonomy of online fraud will receive certification.

This certification scheme for anti-fraud products complements the scheme already in place for companies within the ad supply chain itself, such as ad tech providers, trading desks, ad networks and media owners. The number of these companies certified against fraud currently stands at eight with a further eight undergoing the verification process.

JICWEBS’ chairman Richard Foan noted that this certification scheme took longer to come to fruition because some companies expressed concern about sharing confidential and competitive information around how their products worked. “Consequently we worked with the companies to build a scheme that worked for them and the JICWEBS stakeholders.”

Keith Moor, Santander’s chief marketing officer, said: “Advertisers’ need to have greater trust in digital media is well served by this important initiative from JICWEBS and it’s one that we fully support. As a member of JICWEBS’ UK Cross-Industry Anti-Fraud Commercial Working Group, Santander has been working with other advertisers and our digital media partners to reduce the risk of exposure to ad fraud. We look forward to investing our digital marketing spend with trusted, certified companies.”

Bethan Crockett, brand safety and digital risk director at GroupM EMEA, said: “GroupM UK welcomes increasing participation in JICWEBS’ anti-fraud certification programme. It is critical for our clients to know proactive steps are being taken to protect digital supply chain integrity.”

Links / further reading: JICWEBS’ taxonomy of online fraud