30 January 2017

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

Affectv and RadiumOne are the first companies to receive a certification seal on how their processes reduce the risk of fraudulent ads being served, by applying the JICWEBS’ anti-fraud Good Practice Principles. They were awarded the seal following an independent audit by ABC.

“This is genuine red-letter day in the battle against online ad fraud,” said JICWEBS’ chairman Richard Foan. “There’s been a lot to talk but now we’ve seen the first companies to back this up by showing how they’re actively committed to reducing the risk of online ad fraud across our industry. This industry certification is all about building trust through transparency.”

Phil Smith, ISBA’s director general, said, “This is a huge breakthrough in the war against ad fraud, which ISBA members see as one of the biggest issues facing advertisers today, claiming a massive 30% of online advertising revenues.

“ISBA has been championing the JICWEBS Anti-Fraud Working Group, together with major advertiser members. Affectv and RadiumOne have been accredited and awarded a seal against the Good Practice Principles issued by the Group in 2016, seeking to ensure ads don’t appear on fraudulent sites. For the first time advertisers can now choose to employ companies that have proven credentials in the fight against ad fraud.”

Ray Jenkin, Chief Strategy Officer at Affectv said: “Recent stories in the media have shone a light on the extent of ad fraud in certain areas of the digital ecosystem. As an industry we have a responsibility to tackle ad fraud and build trust in digital media as more media spend moves to digital environments. Affectv have always been strong advocates for tackling ad misplacement and fraud and we are very pleased to both participate in this initiative and achieve the JICWEBS seal supported by ABC verification."

RadiumOne’s UK managing director, Craig Tuck, said: “Blue chip brands have spoken out about their frustrations and expectations around this major issue. I'm determined to ensure RadiumOne is at the front of the queue in combatting ad fraud and delighted to be awarded the JICWEBS seal of approval. Bots are sophisticated networks of non-human actions carried out without a brand or user’s knowledge. However, the human action of content sharing cannot be falsified and that is our USP at RadiumOne. Significant progress is being made by the industry across all parts of the supply chain to improve the situation - led by JICWEBS, independent auditors and ad verification vendors."

Companies interested in having their anti-fraud processes verified can find out more on this page at www.jicwebs.org.