--- title: "Pixalate Week in Review: September 25 - 29, 2017" description: Pixalate reviews this week's news in the programmatic ad fraud space. Find the most critical ad tech and privacy news from 25-29 September 2017. image: https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/fighting-shadow.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/fighting-shadow.png) [Weekly Recaps](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/topic/weekly-recaps) | 2 min read # Pixalate Week in Review: September 25 - 29, 2017 Written by [Tyler Loechner](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/author/tyler-loechner) Sep 29, 2017 5:21:14 PM This week's review of ad fraud and quality in the digital advertising space. ### **1. Fewer than 4% of Alexa Top 5000 publishers are using ads.txt** ![digital-link-chain.png](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20covers/digital-link-chain.png?width=640&name=digital-link-chain.png) [MediaPost](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/307745/good-idea-but-adstxt-isnt-exactly-crushing-it-.html) has reported, citing Pixalate research, that "3.8% of the top 5,000 Alexa-ranked domains have adopted" the IAB's ads.txt initiative. "[Ads.txt] requires compliance and scaled adoption for it to be meaningful," wrote MediaPost. "Several months into the program, that doesn’t appear to be happening." Download the full list of [publishers that have adopted ads.txt](https://info.pixalate.com/publishers-with-ads-dot-txt) here. ### **2. Are over half of programmatic impressions not viewed by humans?** **![eye-viewability.png](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/eye-viewability.png?width=640&name=eye-viewability.png)** "Digital publishers are trying to address their industry’s continued struggles with brand safety and fraud, but experts say they still have a long way to go," wrote [Adweek](http://www.adweek.com/tv-video/over-half-of-paid-programmatic-impressions-probably-arent-viewed-by-an-actual-person/). "More than half of paid programming impressions are probably fraudulent, while under even the best-case scenario, one-third of those impressions aren’t viewed by an actual person." Adweek noted that these "bleak estimates" come from an Advertising Week panel about data-driven advertising. ### **3. CMO's have 'significant fear' about ad fraud** ![fighting-shadow.png](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/fighting-shadow.png?width=640&name=fighting-shadow.png) [CNBC.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/26/chief-marketers-have-significant-fear-about-ad-fraud--and-heres-what-media-agencies-need-to-do-about-it.html) wrote that chief marketers have "significant fear about ad fraud," citing a recent study from CMO Council. "A report by the CMO Council published Tuesday reveals that ad fraud and ad misplacement are two primary concerns for senior marketers when it comes to protecting their brands in digital media," wrote CNBC.com. ### **4. FT.com discovers high levels of domains spoofing: Over $1 million per month** ![hacker-mask-anonymous.png](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/hacker-mask-anonymous.png?width=640&name=hacker-mask-anonymous.png) Per [Digiday](https://digiday.com/media/ft-warns-advertisers-discovering-high-levels-of-domain-spoofing/), the Financial Times examined the level of domain spoofing occuring against its site (ft.com). The Financial Times "found display ads against inventory masquerading as FT.com on 10 separate ad exchanges and video ads on 15 exchanges, even though the FT doesn’t even sell video ads programmatically, with 300 accounts selling inventory purporting to be the FT’s," wrote Digiday. "The FT has estimated the value of the fraudulent inventory to be £1 million ($1.3 million) a month." ### **5. Domain spoofing continues to plague marketers, publishers** ![matrix-hacker-shadow.png](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/matrix-hacker-shadow.png?width=640&name=matrix-hacker-shadow.png) "One of the most concerning [challenges] for publishers and marketers alike: 'domain spoofing,' in which bad actors pretend that the digital ad space they are selling is on websites that it isn’t," wrote the **[*Wall Street Journal*](https://www.wsj.com/articles/spoofed-online-ads-irk-publishers-and-marketers-1506603602). "In terms of who’s to blame for spoofing, marketers and publishers typically point their fingers at the ad tech middlemen, or ad exchanges, which help facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers." To see which ad exchanges rank best against domain spoofing, check out Pixalate's [Seller Trust Indexes](https://www.pixalate.com/sellertrustindex/global/#!global). *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 [← The State of Ads.txt Adoption](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/iab-ads-txt-adoption-data-publishers-list) [** ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog) Next Story [Pixalate Releases August 2017 Seller Trust Indexes →](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/global-mobile-video-seller-trust-index-august-2017) ## 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-29-2017#) # 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. 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