“This issue of brand safety online is one of the very reasons the Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS) was set up and we have a certification system to tackle this. It enables companies involved in serving online ads to be audited and show how their processes meet the industry agreed good practice principles specifically designed to reduce the risk of ads appearing against inappropriate content.
Currently 34 companies have received this seal for Brand Safety and we advise advertisers to check whether potential ad trading partners have this certification.”
Richard Foan, chairman of JICWEBS, the independent body responsible for developing standards for online ad trading.
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Major global brands are unknowingly funding Islamic extremists and white supremacists by advertising on their websites, according to a report.
An investigation by the Times shows that adverts by large companies, universities and charities are appearing on hate sites and alongside YouTube videos run by supporters of terror groups such as Islamic State and Combat 18, a violent pro-Nazi faction.
Those adverts are likely to generate tens of thousands of pounds a month for the extremist groups, according to the paper. An advert appearing with a YouTube video typically earns whoever posts the video $7.60 for every 1,000 views. The most popular extremist videos have more than one million hits.