TAG LAUNCHES ANTI-FRAUD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM 

TAG “Certified Against Fraud” Seal Available to Ad Buyers, Sellers and Intermediaries Who Meet Rigorous Anti-Fraud Requirements

WASHINGTON, DC – May 23, 2016 – The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), an advertising industry initiative to fight criminal activity in the digital advertising supply chain, today announced the launch of its cornerstone anti-fraud certification program, which will award TAG “Certified Against Fraud” seals to buyers, sellers, and intermediaries in the digital advertising supply chain who meet rigorous anti-fraud requirements.

More than thirty leading digital advertising companies and ad agencies have already agreed to participate in the program and undergo TAG anti-fraud certification, including Amobee, AppNexus, Collective, comScore, DoubleVerify, Dstillery, engage:BDR, Exponential, Forensiq, Google, GroupM, Horizon Media, Index Exchange, Integral Ad Science, Interpublic Group, MediaMath, Moat, ndp, News Corp, Omnicom Group, OpenX, Publicis Worldwide, RhythmOne, Rocket Fuel, Rubicon Project, Sociomantic Labs, sovrn, SpotX, TubeMogul, White Ops, WPP, Yahoo, and Zemanta.

“Going forward, TAG will name and proclaim the companies leading the fight against digital ad fraud through a ‘Certified Against Fraud’ seal that recognizes their efforts to protect partners and customers,” said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG. “Participants in the digital ad supply chain can now ask a simple question to tell if their partners have taken the necessary steps to fight ad fraud: ‘Are you TAG Certified Against Fraud?’ As more TAG anti-fraud seals are awarded, the cracks in our industry exploited by bad actors will also be sealed against their criminal endeavors.”

To obtain a TAG “Certified Against Fraud” seal, companies must comply with a set of guidelines related to their specific roles in the digital advertising supply chain.

• Direct buyers such as advertisers and authorized advertiser agents (AAAs) must complete the TAG Registration process, have a designated TAG compliance officer, and comply with the Media Rating Council’s Invalid Traffic (IVT) Detection and Filtration Guidelines.
• Direct sellers such as publishers and authorized publisher agents (APAs) must comply with all of the steps required of buyers, as well as domain list filtering, data center IP list filtering, and publisher sourcing disclosure requirements.
• Intermediaries such as ad networks and other indirect buyers and sellers must comply with all of the steps required of buyers, as well as domain list filtering, data center IP list filtering, and TAG’s Payment ID protocol.

More information about the specific requirements and application process for the TAG “Certified Against Fraud Seal” can be found on the TAG website.

“Every dollar spent on a fraudulent ad is a dollar that is stolen from marketers,” said Bob Liodice, President and CEO of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). “We’re angry and we want an end to those who are robbing us, reducing our ability to reach our intended targets, diminishing the effectiveness of our campaigns and ultimately hurting ROI. We strongly encourage all of our members to become TAG ‘Certified Against Fraud’ and request their ad partners to do so as well. By working together, we can ensure that our marketing resources support our business goals, not criminals and fraudsters.”  

“Major advertising agencies have been leaders in supporting anti-fraud efforts to protect their clients’ investments, and agencies have provided strong support for many of TAG’s initiatives,” said Nancy Hill, President and Chief Executive Officer of the 4A’s. “The ‘Certified Against Fraud’ program will consolidate and elevate ongoing agency efforts to fight fraud by allowing agencies to get certified themselves and include the common-sense requirement in vendor agreements that their digital advertising partner also have the TAG anti-fraud seal.”

“The TAG ‘Certified Against Fraud’ program codifies the best practices for each participant in the digital ad supply chain into a single set of guidelines, so every buyer, seller, and intermediary knows exactly what steps they must take to effectively fight fraud,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). “Every IAB member who plays a relevant role in digital advertising should apply for TAG’s anti-fraud seal, so we can take aggressive action against the criminals who are undermining our industry.”

The TAG “Certified Against Fraud” program is part of TAG’s interlocking efforts to eliminate fraudulent traffic, combat malware, fight Internet piracy, and promote transparency across the digital advertising supply chain. Each participating TAG company is eligible for a custom package for the certification processes related to its business, so it can apply for, receive, and use the relevant TAG seals in promoting its efforts to protect the digital advertising supply chain.

About the Trustworthy Accountability Group

The Trustworthy Accountability Group was created to foster transformational improvement at scale across the digital advertising ecosystem, focusing on four core areas: eliminating fraudulent traffic, combating malware, fighting ad-supported Internet piracy to promote brand integrity, and promoting brand safety through greater transparency. For more information on TAG, please visit tagtoday.net.

Contact:
Andrew Weinstein
202-667-4967
andrewwstn[at]gmail.com