StopBadware launches Ads Integrity Alliance to fight ‘bad ads’

By Daniel Clark Jun 14th, 2012 ( 4 Comments )

StopBadware announced today the launch of the Ads Integrity Alliance in order to curb the cluster of ‘bad ads’ from the online advertising ecosystem, with Facebook, Google, Twitter, AOL, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) being the charter members.

Global Public Policy Manager, Eric Davis, wrote in the Google official blog: “Since its beginnings in 2006, StopBadware has enabled many websites, service providers and software providers to share real-time information in order to warn users and significantly eliminate malware (such as viruses, phishing sites and malicious downloads) on the web. We believe that the Ads Integrity Alliance can make a similarly important contribution to the goal of identifying and removing bad ads from all corners of the web.”

StopBadware is comprised of ad industry leaders who have been working to protect users from ads that deliver malware, scam users, or try to sell counterfeit goods. The Ads Integrity Alliance is a natural extension of the non-profit organization’s mission, StopBadware executive director Maxim Weinstein said in a statement.

Bad actors threaten the trust that people place in their favourite websites and the advertising infrastructure that supports them. Ad industry leaders have been working hard to protect users from bad ads, including those that deliver malware, direct users to scams, or try to sell counterfeit goods. The Alliance will enhance these efforts by allowing leaders to combine their expertise and raise standards for ad integrity.

The Ads Integrity Alliance will build on efforts already in place by its members to curtail the proliferation of bad ads. In particular, the Alliance will:

Develop and share definitions, industry policy recommendations, and best practices
Serve as a platform for sharing information about bad actors
Share relevant trends with policymakers and law enforcement agencies

“Bad ads, such as those that facilitate malware distribution or deceive users, diminish the online user experience and threaten trust in the Web,” said Eric Davis, global public policy manager at Google. “The Ads Integrity Alliance will serve as a forum for us to work together to protect users from bad ads and strengthen trust in the advertising ecosystem.”