by Tobi Elkin @tobielkin, April 20, 2017

Seeking to improve brand safety and combat ad fraud in the digital advertising ecosystem, The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) on Thursday announced that all publisher and technology company members will be required to register with the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG).

TAG is an industry program that seeks to fight fraud and other criminal activity; its registration process will verify IAB companies as legitimate participants in the digital advertising industry.

The IAB said it will give its more than 400 general member companies until June 1, 2018 to obtain TAG Registration.

More than 100 IAB members have already joined TAG and, there are about 225 global companies that have applied to join.

The IAB said it negotiated free TAG Registration for smaller members and discounts of 12.5% to 25% off TAG’s rate card for its larger members. IAB members will receive the discount on their TAG registration for 2018 and 2019.

TAG was launched in 2015 by the IAB, the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), and Association for National Advertisers (ANA) to fight fraud, malware, piracy, and lack of transparency.

“The digital ad industry’s open supply chain is the source of our innovation and the source of our risks,” stated IAB President and CEO Randall Rothenberg. “Making TAG Registration a requirement for IAB members will make our supply chain safer, while still allowing innovative media and advertising solutions to flourish.”

Rothenberg also called on other industry trade bodies to make TAG Registration mandatory for their members. “TAG administers our industry’s health code,” Rothenberg stated. “No one should be exempt from our industry’s health code.”

TAG Registration is the prerequisite for participation in TAG’s four seal programs, which allow companies to validate their compliance with industry best practices in preventing fraud, malware, and piracy, as well as improving the transparency of their inventory.

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

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