Ad Fraud Disclosures

Last updated: July 27, 2020

Over the years we have seen multiple and diverse types of ad fraud attacks, all of which negatively impact the digital advertising industry overall. Collaboration in response to emerging ad fraud attacks is therefore essential to our industry’s ability to combat fraud.

The Best Practices for the Disclosure of Ad Fraud Attacks is a product of IAB Tech Lab’s Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group. It develops and consolidates best practices to drive alignment and consistency across the industry when it comes to ad fraud disclosure.

This guidance comprises a set of guiding principles that can be expanded and updated as the industry evolves. Given the broad range of ways that a disclosure can be made, this resource provides guidance and recommendations, rather than rigid requirements. By implementing the best practices included in this proposal, disclosing entities will help the industry to better address and respond to ad fraud attacks in a mutually beneficial way.

The guidance includes:

  • Criteria to be considered when disclosing e.g. confidentiality, verification, undue harm, accuracy, timing and origin
  • Guidelines for actionable data sharing outlining data points to be shared as part of disclosure that enables receivers to investigate and stand up defensive measures

We encourage companies and organizations to review and implement these best practices whenever there is an opportunity to build broader awareness about an emerging ad fraud attack.