--- title: "Pixalate Week in Review: September 18 - 22, 2017" description: Pixalate reviews this week's news in the programmatic ad fraud space. Find the most critical ad tech and privacy news from 18-22 September 2017. image: https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/court-gavel-sue.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/court-gavel-sue.png) [Weekly Recaps](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/topic/weekly-recaps) | 3 min read # Pixalate Week in Review: September 18 - 22, 2017 Written by [Tyler Loechner](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/author/tyler-loechner) Sep 22, 2017 5:27:34 PM This week's review of ad fraud and quality in the digital advertising space. ### **1. Google to issue full refunds for ad fraud on DBM** ![piggy-bank.png](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/piggy-bank.png?width=640&name=piggy-bank.png) [Advertising Age](http://adage.com/article/digital/google-makes-big-doubleclick-refund-policy/310554/) has reported that Google will issue full refunds to DoubleClick Bid Manager users when ad fraud occurs. "The news comes a few weeks after The *Wall Street Journal* reported that Google was issuing refunds to advertisers whose ads reached bots instead of humans, but only for its fees of 7 percent to 10 percent, not the whole cost of wasted ad spending," wrote Advertising Age. The article added: "The new policy only applies to inventory acquired through Google supply partners AppNexus, Index Exchange, OpenX, Teads, Telaria and DoubleClick Ad Exchange, though Google estimates they, along with others, comprise 90% of the available inventory on DoubleClick Bid Manager. It takes effect sometime in the coming months." ### **2. Uber sues mobile agency over ad fraud** **![court-gavel-sue.png](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/court-gavel-sue.png?width=640&name=court-gavel-sue.png)** "Uber Technologies Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Fetch Media Ltd., a mobile ad agency owned by ad giant Dentsu Inc., alleging the agency misrepresented the effectiveness of its mobile ads, failed to prevent ad fraud and didn’t return rebates owed to Uber," reported the *[Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-sues-mobile-agency-alleging-ad-fraud-1505787048). "*In the suit, Uber alleges that Fetch 'squandered tens of millions of dollars' purchasing nonexistent, nonviewable or fraudulent ads and that it 'concealed those facts from Uber,'" wrote the *WSJ*.  ### **3. IAB launches blockchain working group** ![iab.jpg](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/iab.jpg?width=640&name=iab.jpg) The IAB Tech Lab this week [announced](https://www.iab.com/news/blockchain-for-advertising/) the launch of a working group meant to "explor[e] ways to leverage blockchain to improve efficiency and value realization in digital advertising." The IAB added: "The initial areas of scope are fraud, measurement, discrepancy reconciliation for billing purposes, financial transactions, and validation of advertising resources and assets." ### **4. Programmatic firms increase transparency into ad auction mechanics** ![bidding-hands-auction.png](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/bidding-hands-auction.png?width=640&name=bidding-hands-auction.png) [Digiday](https://digiday.com/marketing/getting-everyone-agree-type-programmatic-ad-auction-oddly-difficult/) has reported that ad-buyers are taking well to the recent announcements from OpenX, AppNexus and Rubicon Project regarding increased transparency into auction mechanics. "Digiday spoke to five ad buyers who said this is a good first step toward fixing a basic problem in programmatic buying," wrote Digiday. The problem has been that ad-buyers often don't even know what type of auction they are bidding in, per Digiday. ### **5. Brands are taking back more control** **![dominoes.png](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/dominoes.png?width=640&name=dominoes.png)** [Marketing Week](https://www.marketingweek.com/2017/09/20/how-brands-are-taking-back-control/) details how brands are taking back more control over their digital ad budgets as transparency, trust, and quality remain paramount topics. Citing a World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) study, Marketing Week writes, "65% [of brands] have improved their internal capabilities – such as hiring a head of programmatic – around brand safety over the last 12 months. Some 40% are developing in-house resource[s] to help tackle ad fraud, with 34% saying they started doing this within the last 12 months and just 6% saying they were already doing it 12 months ago." *Sign up for our blog to stay updated with new stats, trends, and analysis on digital ad fraud.* ### 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 [← Pixalate Week in Review: September 11 - 15, 2017](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/programmatic-ad-fraud-news-week-in-review-september-15-2017) [** ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog) Next Story [The State of Ads.txt Adoption →](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/iab-ads-txt-adoption-data-publishers-list) ## 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-september-22-2017#) # 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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