OpenX Awarded First Platinum Status Recognition from the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) for Comprehensive Approach to Quality and Transparency

Leading independent ad exchange is one of only five companies globally to achieve highest level of quality certification

Los Angeles – January 9, 2019 – OpenX, the world’s largest independent advertising exchange, today announced that the company has achieved Platinum Status for its commitment to quality from the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), designating compliance with all four of the available TAG seals: Certified Against Fraud, Certified Against Piracy, Certified Against Malware, and Certified Against TAG’s Inventory Quality Guidelines.

Less than 5 percent of all TAG members have achieved Platinum Status, highlighting the comprehensive commitment OpenX has taken to build the highest quality programmatic marketplace through industry leading efforts to reduce fraud, piracy and malware. As further validation of OpenX’s commitment to quality, all four of the company’s TAG seals have been further independently verified by third party auditors, providing both buyers and sellers with even greater confidence in the company’s quality efforts.  

“Advertisers and publishers have demanded higher quality from their partners, and the industry has responded, but it’s not enough to just talk the talk,” said John Gentry, President of OpenX. “Businesses need to be thorough and comprehensive when it comes to quality, and the Platinum Status from TAG is a great way for advertisers and publishers to separate the companies that are truly committed from those that may just be doing the minimum required. Additionally, if advertisers start demanding independent verification, as opposed to self certification, that will further separate the companies that are putting in the hard work to prioritize quality and improve the digital advertising ecosystem.”

“We created the Platinum Status designation as a way to make it very clear to the industry which companies are all-in on quality,” said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG.  “In the fight against criminal activity in advertising, our industry knows that we must stop every attack and plug every crack in the ad tech ecosystem. OpenX is one of only five companies in the world to have taken an equally comprehensive approach in their internal systems by undergoing the rigorous application and review process needed to receive all four of TAG’s available seals. Platinum status is TAG’s highest accomplishment, and we are delighted and proud to recognize OpenX for taking the steps necessary to ensure that their digital advertising operations are impervious to the corroding effects of fraud, malware, piracy, and lack of transparency.”

Over the past year, large brand advertisers like Procter & Gamble have begun requiring all advertising partners to become TAG certified against fraud, and a new study from The 614 Group found that fraud is reduced 84 percent in TAG certified distribution channels compared to the broader industry average. In Europe specifically, it was found that the use of TAG Certified channels for digital advertising across the UK, Germany, France, The Netherlands and Italy reduced the level of fraud by 94% over industry average.

The TAG announcement follows years of significant investment by OpenX, including more than $25 million in 2018, to develop industry leading approaches to quality. For more information on OpenX’s commitment to quality, visit: https://www.openx.com/company/quality/