--- title: "Pixalate Week in Review: April 1 - 5, 2019" description: Pixalate reviews this week's news in the programmatic ad fraud space. Find the most critical ad tech and privacy news from 1-5 April 2019. image: https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/phones-around-table.png --- [![pixalate-full-logo](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pixalate_Logos/pixalate-full-logo.jpg?width=150&height=60&name=pixalate-full-logo.jpg "pixalate-full-logo")](https://www.pixalate.com) Search **Menu** ** ** ![](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/phones-around-table.png) [Weekly Recaps](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/topic/weekly-recaps) | 2 min read # Pixalate Week in Review: April 1 - 5, 2019 Written by [Tyler Loechner](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/author/tyler-loechner) Apr 5, 2019 2:10:47 PM This week's review of ad fraud and quality in the digital advertising space. ### **1. Pixalate uncovers 66 more apps impacted by SimBad mobile app ad fraud scheme ** ![simbad-mobile-app-ad-fraud-more-information](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/simbad-mobile-app-ad-fraud-more-information.png?width=600&name=simbad-mobile-app-ad-fraud-more-information.png) Through ongoing support and detailed, in-depth fraud monitoring, Pixalate is able to provide additional data and context around SimBad, an apparent [mobile app ad fraud](https://www.pixalate.com/simbad-mobile-app-ad-fraud-scheme) scheme. Pixalate’s research team identified an additional 66 apps that appear to have been impacted by SimBad. These 66 apps were not on the original list when the apparent scheme was first uncovered. [![See the Apps](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2364596/4e4ee93d-2b68-4c6d-96df-4058761cc153.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2364596/4e4ee93d-2b68-4c6d-96df-4058761cc153) ### **2. Business Insider: Ways to ensure brand safety in mobile apps ** ![phones-around-table](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/phones-around-table.png?width=600&name=phones-around-table.png) "[I]nvalid traffic on mobile apps increased by 33% in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to the analytics firm Pixalate," wrote [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/doubleverify-has-a-tool-to-prevent-in-app-brand-safety-issues-2019-4) in a piece examining different ways to approach brand safety for mobile app advertising. "Brand safety is a related issue. Some brands may want to avoid their ads running on a news app during certain breaking-news situations like plane crashes, or on meme apps that may have user-generated content containing crude humor and mature language," the article added. ### **3. Understanding the nuances of mobile in-app fraud** ![phone-malware-ad-fraud](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/phone-malware-ad-fraud.png?width=600&name=phone-malware-ad-fraud.png) "[I]n the battle against fraud, knowledge is power. And when it comes to in-app fraud, there’s a great deal of nuance behind the blanket numbers that you see floating around the industry," wrote Kiip's Kristopher Nyberg in an op-ed for [MarTech Series](https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/guest-authors/app-fraud-nuances-know/). "Fraud rates vary greatly across platform and app category. In this regard, the fraud reports produced by [Pixalate](https://www.pixalate.com/ad-fraud-trends-report-update-q4-2018) shed a great deal of light on these variances." ### **4. Magna predicts U.S. OTT ad revenues to double by 2020** ![connected-tv-ott-ctv-background](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/connected-tv-ott-ctv-background.png?width=600&name=connected-tv-ott-ctv-background.png) "TV dollars are following eyeballs and shifting to over-the-top," wrote [AdExchanger](https://adexchanger.com/tv-2/magna-predicts-us-ott-ad-revenues-will-double-by-2020/). "As a result, Magna is revising its OTT ad spend forecast upwards, predicting 39% growth to $3.8 billion in 2019 and 31% growth to $5 billion by 2020." The article added: "The penetration and consumption of OTT homes in the US grew faster than we thought,” said Vincent Letang, EVP of market intelligence at Magna. “There’s an increasing number of people accessing OTT and more content to be consumed.” ### **5. NHL is the latest brand to take digital buying in-house for more control** **![hockey](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/hockey.png?width=600&name=hockey.png)** "In the fourth quarter of 2018, [CMO Heidi] Browning brought the NHL’s digital media buying in-house in an effort to better use its content," reported [Digiday](https://digiday.com/marketing/nhl-took-digital-media-buying-house/). "The league joins the ranks of brands like Electrolux and Nationwide that have taken their advertising in-house to assume greater control and flexibility." ### Search Blog Search ### Follow Pixalate ### Subscribe to our blog *By entering your email address and clicking Subscribe, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use ](https://www.pixalate.com/terms)and [Privacy Policy.](https://www.pixalate.com/privacypolicy) Previous Story [← SimBad mobile app ad fraud scheme: 66 additional apps uncovered; Samsung and T-Mobile U.S. users hit hardest](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/simbad-mobile-app-ad-fraud-scheme) [** ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog) Next Story [Mobile app fraud: Invalid traffic (IVT) by app category (2019) →](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/mobile-app-fraud-trends-invalid-traffic-ivt) ## You May Also Like These Stories on Weekly Recaps [![](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/pixalate-week-review-june-13.png) ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/june-20-2025) [Weekly Recaps](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/topic/weekly-recaps) ### [Pixalate Week in Review: June 16 - June 20, 2025](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/june-20-2025) Jun 20, 2025 11:09:13 AM | 3 min read [![](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/pixalate-week-review-june-13.png) ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/june-13-2025) [Weekly Recaps](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/topic/weekly-recaps) ### [Pixalate Week in Review: June 9 - June 13, 2025](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/june-13-2025) Jun 13, 2025 11:39:50 AM | 3 min read [![](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/June-6-Pixalate-Recap.png) ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/june-6-2025) [Weekly Recaps](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/topic/weekly-recaps) ### [Pixalate Week in Review: June 2 - June 6, 2025](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/june-6-2025) Jun 6, 2025 1:00:13 PM | 2 min read ** ### Subscribe to our blog *By entering your email address and clicking Subscribe, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use ](https://www.pixalate.com/terms)and [Privacy Policy.](https://www.pixalate.com/privacypolicy) ![pixalate-logo-red-small](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2018NewTemplate/pixalate-logo-red-small.png?width=208&name=pixalate-logo-red-small.png "pixalate-logo-red-small") ** By entering your email address and clicking Subscribe, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use](https://www.pixalate.com/terms) and [Privacy Policy](https://www.pixalate.com/privacypolicy) Products [Analytics](https://www.pixalate.com/products/analytics) [Blocking](https://www.pixalate.com/products/blocking) [Media Rating Terminal](https://www.pixalate.com/products/mrt) [Publisher Trust Indexes](https://www.pixalate.com/rankings/?group=app&reportId=publisherTrustIndex) [Seller Trust Indexes](https://www.pixalate.com/rankings/?group=app&reportId=publisherTrustIndex) [IoT Device Rankings](https://www.pixalate.com/rankings/?group=app&reportId=iotDeviceReach) Resources [Blog](https://blog.pixalate.com/) [Press](https://www.pixalate.com/press) [Careers](https://www.pixalate.com/jobs) [Team](https://info.pixalate.com/pixalate-leadership-team) Contact Email [** sales@pixalate.com ](mailto:sales@pixalate.com) [** privacy@pixalate.com ](mailto:privacy@pixalate.com) US: [** +1 888 749 2528 ](tel:+1%20888%20749%202528) EU: [** +44 (0)800 011 2050 ](tel:+44%20(0)800%20011%202050) Slack: [Join ATSAPI Slack Channel ](https://atsapi-pixalate.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-10dtow5cj-OEtlNr5yzJkrZMQUqcEEow#/shared-invite/email) Offices Global Offices US 1775 Greensboro Station Place, Suite 425, McLean, VA 22102 UK 20 North Audley Street London, W1K 6WE, United Kingdom EU 10 Earlsfort Terrace Dublin 2, D02 T380, Ireland Singapore 10 Anson Road, #22-02 International Plaza, Singapore 079903 [![facebook](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/footer/icons/facebook.png) ](https://www.facebook.com/pixalate) [![x](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/footer/icons/twitter-x.png) ](https://twitter.com/pixalateinc) [![linkedin](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/footer/icons/linkedin.png) ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/pixalate) ![wechat](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/footer/icons/wechat.png) [![slack](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/footer/icons/slack.png) ](https://atsapi-pixalate.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-10dtow5cj-OEtlNr5yzJkrZMQUqcEEow#/shared-invite/email) [Terms of Use](https://www.pixalate.com/terms) [Privacy Policy](https://www.pixalate.com/privacypolicy) [GDPR Compliance](https://www.pixalate.com/gdpr) Disclaimer Copyright © 2025 Pixalate [Back to top **](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/programmatic-ad-fraud-news-week-in-review-april-5-2019#) # Disclaimer Disclaimer: The content of this page reflects Pixalate’s opinions with respect to the factors that Pixalate believes can be useful to the digital media industry. Any proprietary data shared is grounded in Pixalate’s proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate’s opinions are just that - opinion, not facts or guarantees. Per the MRC, “'Fraud' is not intended to represent fraud as defined in various laws, statutes and ordinances or as conventionally used in U.S. Court or other legal proceedings, but rather a custom definition strictly for advertising measurement purposes. Also per the MRC, “‘Invalid Traffic’ is defined generally as traffic that does not meet certain ad serving quality or completeness criteria, or otherwise does not represent legitimate ad traffic that should be included in measurement counts. 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