---
title: "Pixalate Week in Review: July 16 - 20, 2018"
description: Pixalate reviews this week's news in the programmatic ad fraud space. Find the most critical ad tech and privacy news from 16-20 July 2018.
---

[Pixalate Blog ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog)

# [Pixalate Week in Review: July 16 - 20, 2018](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/programmatic-ad-fraud-news-week-in-review-july-20-2018)

 Written by [Tyler Loechner](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/author/tyler-loechner) | Jul 20, 2018 3:30:02 PM

This week's review of ad fraud and quality in the digital advertising space.

### **1. Facebook, Disney among brands potentially impacted by mobile app ad fraud laundering discovery**

In the wake of our [MegaCast app ad fraud discovery](https://info.pixalate.com/e1t/c/*W4jq44c5psKbmN7DNFNBnk4k30/*W3mrXrf8kXC54W2WMZ2S6t-6yq0/5/f18dQhb0S65N6Syrd5N12gRkzF2v8PV8sS042F8vd7W7gc4dF5gSrqCW5Ct_d13gtS38W89Krtp8ryY5hN7tL0cTlwTNBW6fGhcp3x8VsqW6tqCj270m58_W6s8VZK8Ls5LvVyq4B57GMNGDW9ldQGm45Rj6bW4k9KSJ24qjyMW4dCSQY5ZPXHyW1pGnNK3L-Qb8W8tXcSW1BvJsSW52PcjM1ddC2vW2QVSKN64HnfnV9P8p_3ZcSRvW4Bcd7b4gmsbBW45QmyK7m0HZlN3Lx2HJVWlZqW1BSQ-W2S0wndVBNQMQ84hXSvW1x2FKG7D4kLGW64nwbV67v5_yW5D6pzy75M1FsW2Hz24188CxC7W4NHq8-3WrKPvW5FkM4d6wvtFRW2VyxRb28kSl3W6m-BCc4k_0wBW9c0_713vHsPxW6YSH1j4v5wBSW3ZDbsZ1D9j_XW6HcwJn6RqM08W3hJlHg9bt9qnW7_lJmb4S2yPyW5mX8d63dZNWtW3JTHYs4t-cmxW6rls-k7-ksk3VgjhP66673hyW7d995D7LTVVDW4LCG6m5Jxdm5W5Hp_SN4hMChkW8cMYPN5nwWY2W9ccxqh7mcXkDN1ZqvW3XBHp6dRyDq003), we continue to explore the impact of this apparent widespread app laundering and automatic activity. Based on conservative estimates, we believe brands were losing over $75 million per year to this alleged ad fraud activity. Upon further research into the activity, Pixalate was able to identify and verify some of the [exact brands that we believe were impacted by this event](https://info.pixalate.com/e1t/c/*W4jq44c5psKbmN7DNFNBnk4k30/*W6yDh0R3gKhKXW1Fw7HZ69Ct_20/5/f18dQhb0SfHC9dZyjHW5w5_X61m4DtzW7t5csN57kpKdW6Blzmx1Nvw7TVM7Yn31sK_ppW8BSj4q1lQsvYW61p2Zp8tBGPpW1nPchg8CtcXxW1kkLtv65kk2yW8BtSCb1rfb5sN5yL6tCLLZ7LW8q-2Zx8q63fdW60C65n25xrfhW1xbSZZ4synWyVcPNC519HN_8W41LJdT3Td_2KW3gGSSh2HVTVMW1gJs3l8XWrl7W5Tkt5q5_fpm4W7dDxTN7mWsnXW7dzcsS51vDDKW6vYDb47v70tSW4RYYVx3ryrVxW3kY-MT4zVpq_W8gjY6L8WBKbVW56sy_82NhXH1W58SqHQ2KmvCGW2v47m558tc5kN52QvSV79ctWW8V-l4G8X4d-bW59NRYK1k0KqkW5p2vxm7nK8WwW2Nbtm67v0Qv_N6Wps5K60BbJVrBbZW4Ccc1ZN7q6BMrmVBCzW6Xw1rn3p1rMNW1hc1XV4lBZ6FW75Prqb73QsnmW1d5pgb5vyrXvW1RZSFC5X8d0bW4TqVwq2cyH2GW5wDqGJ2Vff2jW3Zjwzj5cxfykW5HDFQb9lL6KSW4vrl7V66p-mTN1WPqF4pW00Pf88G9n911), including Facebook, Disney, Instagram, Hulu, Volvo, and more. Click here to [download our whitepaper](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/Reports_and_Documents/Brands%20impacted%20by%20apparent%20MegaCast%20app%20laundering%20discovery%20-%20Pixalate.pdf) or learn more in [MediaPost](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/322399/mobile-app-ad-fraud-can-cost-brands-up-to-75m.html).

### **2. GDPR compliance has become a 'legal headache'**

****

According to [eMarketer](https://content-na1.emarketer.com/getting-vendors-compliant-with-gdpr-is-a-legal-headache?ecid=NL1015), citing a recent survey from TrustArc and Dimensional Research, "[a]bout a quarter of respondents said their new data policies and procedures and cookie management protocols are fully compliant with the new regulations ... but just 13% said that their vendor risk management programs were GDPR compliant." Working with vendors that are not GDPR compliant could lead to GDPR fines, eMarketer notes. (Note: Pixalate is [GDPR compliant](https://www.pixalate.com/pixalate-gdpr-ready-what-it-means).)

### **3. Will blockchain add to the 'tech tax'?**

"The Interactive Advertising Bureau's Tech Lab on Tuesday revealed details of a Blockchain Working Group pilot program that is designed to answer [how blockchain would be best applied to online advertising]," wrote [Advertising Age](http://adage.com/article/digital/iab-begins-piloting-efforts-blockchain-tech/314238/). "But could it add another so-called ad-tech tax to the equation in the process?" Advertising Age asked, noting that "[s]uch services certainly won't be free."

### **4. Salesforce buys Datorama**

Salesforce this week agreed to acquire Datorama. [AdExchanger](https://adexchanger.com/data-exchanges/salesforce-will-acquire-data-integrator-datorama-for-a-reported-800m/) wrote of the deal: "Both Salesforce and its competitor Oracle have been on a spree acquiring data companies. Oracle started first, by snapping up BlueKai, AddThis, Datalogix, Moat and Grapeshot, and Salesforce has gone down its own path." AdExchanger added, "While Oracle has a data marketplace and seems to be focusing on data analytics, Salesforce is dead set on managing data integration."

### **5. Canada cracks down on malicious online ads with $250,000 in penalties**

### ****

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) [recently](https://www.canada.ca/en/radio-television-telecommunications/news/2018/07/crtc-issues-250000-in-penalties-to-combat-malicious-online-advertising.html) "took enforcement action to combat the installation of malicious software through online ads for the first time under Canada’s anti-spam law." The CRTC hit two companies with a combined $250,000 in penalties for "allegedly aiding in the installation of malicious computer programs (also known as malware) through the distribution of online advertising."

*Sign up for our blog to stay updated with new stats, trends, and analysis of digital ad fraud.*

[View full post](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/programmatic-ad-fraud-news-week-in-review-july-20-2018)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Tyler Loechner"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2022-05-11T14:51:57.045Z",
  "datePublished" : "2018-07-20T15:30:02Z",
  "headline" : "Pixalate Week in Review: July 16 - 20, 2018",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 500,
    "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2364596/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/blockchain-image-blog-pixalate.png",
    "width" : 1000
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.pixalate.com/blog/programmatic-ad-fraud-news-week-in-review-july-20-2018",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Pixalate Blog"
  }
}
```