StopBadware announced today the launch of the Ads Integrity Alliance, an initiative to protect users from bad ads and maintain trust in the online advertising ecosystem. Charter members of the Alliance include Facebook, Google, Twitter, AOL, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
Online advertising has been a driving force in the growth of the Web as a platform for commerce, innovation, and expression. With success have come bad actors that threaten the trust people place in their favorite 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 is a natural extension of StopBadware’s mission to make the Web safer by combating badware,” said the nonprofit organization’s executive director, Maxim Weinstein. “No one can address Internet-scale threats on their own, so we’re bringing together industry leading organizations to tackle the problem collaboratively.”
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.”
For more information, visit AdsIntegrityAlliance.org.
About StopBadware
StopBadware makes the Web safer through the prevention, mitigation, and remediation of badware websites. It began as a project of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University before spinning off as a standalone nonprofit organization in 2010. Corporate partners include Google, Mozilla, Verizon, PayPal, Verisign, and Qualys. StopBadware is based in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, visit www.stopbadware.org
