UK and US adopt same ad fraud industry standard

The programme, which will be implemented from 1^st January, is the latest step in the partnership between the two cross-industry bodies and means the UK and the US will share the same set of anti-fraud standards.

Participating companies in the UK will need to be independently audited by a third party.

The move precedes the merging of Tag’s Inventory Quality Guidelines with Jicwebs DTSG Brand Safety Standards, planned for next year.

In the US, where ‘Certified Against Fraud’ was first introduced in 2016, the programme has led to an 83% reduction in fraud in companies using Tag-certified channels compared to the industry average, according to a 2017 study from the ANA.

Richard Foan, executive chairman of Jicwebs, said: “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.”

Phil Smith, director general, ISBA, added: “UK advertisers need to see a step change in the way digital ad fraud is tackled to ensure their budgets are being protected. They expect transparency in the advertising chain, and this announcement is an important step forward in achieving that.”