Pixalate's Invalid Traffic (IVT) & Ad Fraud Benchmarks Report provides insights into the current state of IVT and ad fraud in the global open programmatic advertising ecosystem, specifically focusing on desktop and mobile web platforms. Here's a summary:
Executive Summary: The report highlights the evolution of IVT rates in the open programmatic web ad marketplace, comparing global regions, devices, and platforms.
Key Findings:
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Global IVT Rates:
- Desktop Web: 11.1%
- Mobile Web: 11.6%
- CTV Apps: 19.4%
- Mobile Apps: 20%
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Trends by Region:
- North America leads in IVT rates for both desktop and mobile web.
- Latin America has the lowest IVT rate in mobile web.
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IVT by Country:
- USA and Canada lead in IVT rates for global desktop web open programmatic traffic.
- USA and Canada also lead in IVT rates for mobile-web open programmatic traffic.
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IVT by Browser:
- Mozilla Firefox shows the highest IVT rate in desktop web.
- CFNetwork, Opera, Safari, and Firefox show IVT rates in mobile web, with CFNetwork leading.
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IVT by Ads.txt:
- Traffic with an ads.txt file shows a higher IVT rate (12.2%) compared to those without (10.1%).
Methodology:
- Data science team analyzed 19+ billion global open programmatic impressions across desktop and mobile web in Q2 2024.
- Determines country of traffic based on IP address and geolocation data.
- Uses buy-side open auction programmatic traffic sources.
- Ads.txt and App-ads.txt initiatives are utilized for transparency and reducing misrepresentation.
Ad Fraud Context:
- IVT is generally defined as non-human traffic or fraudulent activities that do not represent legitimate ad traffic.
- "Fraud" in this context refers to misleading practices rather than legal definitions.
This report offers crucial insights for stakeholders in the ad tech industry to understand IVT patterns and regional differences, aiding in optimizing ad spend and enhancing campaign effectiveness.