Number of Recertified Companies Nearly Triples from 37 to 102 Over Prior Year, Total Recertified Seals More Than Double from 62 to 139

WASHINGTON, DC – March 7, 2019 – The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), an advertising industry initiative to fight criminal activity in the digital advertising supply chain, today recognized more than a hundred companies for achieving 2019 seal recertification for TAG’s Certified Against Fraud, Certified Against Piracy, Certified Against Malware, and Inventory Quality Guideline (IQG) Programs.

Multi-year adoption of TAG’s seal programs continued to skyrocket with 102 companies receiving recertification of 139 existing seals, year-over-year increases of 176% in recertified companies and 124% in recertified seals from the 37 companies recertifying 62 seals in 2018. Of the recertified seals, nearly one in three (30 percent) were awarded via an independent validation process, rather than self-certification.

“Good habits are built over time, and these seal recertifications highlight the digital ad industry’s success at institutionalizing the best practices needed to fight criminal activity and improve transparency,” said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG. “Around the world, TAG seals are becoming the baseline requirement for decision-makers to ensure their business partners are taking the right steps to fight fraud, malware, piracy, and lack-of-transparency. We commend all of the companies achieving recertification for 2019, as well as the new companies receiving their initial seals in 2018, for their extraordinary efforts to protect our supply chain and build a safer and more transparent digital advertising industry.” 

TAG’s 2019 Seal Recipients receiving recertification included:

“I am incredibly proud of the hard work that all of our member TAG Compliance Officers have put in, not just for 2019 recertification, but throughout 2018 as well,” said Todd Miller, Director of Compliance at TAG. “It is very gratifying to see the growth in membership and seals awarded, as well the increased adoption of independent validation and TAG’s establishment of truly global standards.”

TAG Certifications may cover individual countries, geographic regions, or globally. Of the 139 seals recertified in 2019, 59 percent covered global operations, and 76 percent of the companies who recertified through independent validation did so covering their global operations. 

More information regarding recertified companies is available by searching company name or each company’s unique TAG-ID via the TAG Registry. Additional information includes the specific seals awarded to each company, valid terms for each seal, and whether the seals were based on self-attestation or independent validation.

Additional information about TAG’s programs and the application process for TAG Registration and TAG’s seal programs are available on the TAG website.

About the Trustworthy Accountability Group

The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is the leading global certification program fighting criminal activity and increasing trust in the digital advertising industry. Created by the industry’s top trade organizations, TAG’s mission is to eliminate fraudulent traffic, combat malware, prevent Internet piracy, and promote greater transparency in digital advertising. TAG advances those initiatives by bringing companies across the digital advertising supply chain together to set the highest standards. TAG is the first and only registered Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) for the digital advertising industry. For more information on TAG, please visit tagtoday.net.