Why there should be a bigger concern on ad fraud

 Logan Humphrey

lh129720@ohio.edu

Picture from PrestaShop

The scary reality of ad fraud becoming more and more persistent should be a significant concern. Unfortunately, it will become harder to avoid these types of frauds, including artificial intelligence and algorithms, which influence what will pop up on our social media pages and websites.

It doesn't help that advertisers are knowingly aware of their fraud usage and continue to use them. Whether or not it is effective should not be the primary concern of the advertiser; instead, they should focus on the privacy that they might be invading. It seems more plausible to get more consumers by not targeting their moods and online behaviors. Advertisers should do what is best for the consumer or inform them why they are seeing a particular ad on their screens. 

A scary thought that comes from ad fraud is that private and personal information is being collected by an app or a website and used to cultivate ads that would fit best based on that personal information. So there is a fear about the purpose these data are used for. 

Ad fraud contributes to several remarkable results in many different business exchanges. Unfortunately, some are aware of the fraud but continue to use it to their advantage. They are investing in a dangerous tactic, which could lead to trouble in the long run when it eventually gets out of hand. 

Unethical companies are screwing over those trying to advertise ethically and fight ad fraud. The CEO of Dstillery, Tom Phillips, is sincerely upset about these companies, stating "We're out there trying to do it the right way. By comparison, we're facing a prisoner's dilemma against competitors who show great results from fraudulent traffic." 

Juniper Research reports that in 2021 alone, 68 billion dollars was spent lost to ad fraud and an 8.4 billion increase from the previous year. Moreover, it is predicted to grow by an even more significant margin this year. 

If there isn't more of a more significant concern towards the ethics of ad fraud, the problem will only worsen. There are several ways advertisers can work with websites and social media apps to help market their company more ethically. Even though it has been costly, stopping these fraudulent advertisements would have more consumers trusting and buying into what these companies are trying to sell or market.