PAC Brand Safety and Ad Fraud Prevention 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What distinguishes General Invalid Traffic (GIVT) from Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT)?
- GIVT includes known data center traffic and bots identifiable by basic filtering, while SIVT uses advanced techniques to mimic human behavior (Correct answer)
- GIVT refers to mobile ad fraud while SIVT refers to desktop ad fraud
- GIVT is undetectable by standard tools while SIVT can be filtered with basic bot lists
- GIVT involves click fraud and SIVT involves impression fraud exclusively
Correct answer: GIVT includes known data center traffic and bots identifiable by basic filtering, while SIVT uses advanced techniques to mimic human behavior
GIVT is identifiable through standard means like bot lists and data center IP filtering, whereas SIVT employs advanced techniques such as hijacked devices and obfuscated scripts to evade detection.
Question 2: What is ad stacking in programmatic advertising fraud?
- Placing multiple ads on top of each other so only the top ad is visible while all ads record impressions (Correct answer)
- Running the same creative across multiple ad sizes simultaneously to maximize reach
- Layering first-party and third-party audience data to improve targeting precision
- Combining display and video ad formats within a single placement unit
Correct answer: Placing multiple ads on top of each other so only the top ad is visible while all ads record impressions
Ad stacking involves layering multiple ads in a single ad slot so only the top ad is visible to users, yet all stacked ads register impressions, resulting in fraudulent billing for non-viewable placements.
Question 3: What is pixel stuffing in the context of ad fraud?
- Hiding an ad in a 1x1 pixel frame so it is technically served but never seen by users (Correct answer)
- Adding tracking pixels to ads to improve attribution accuracy
- Compressing creative assets to reduce load time and improve viewability scores
- Embedding audience segmentation data within ad pixel tags
Correct answer: Hiding an ad in a 1x1 pixel frame so it is technically served but never seen by users
Pixel stuffing involves serving an ad in a 1x1 pixel iframe that is invisible to users, allowing fraudulent publishers to generate impressions without any genuine ad exposure.
Question 4: Which IAB Tech Lab standard provides supply chain transparency by listing all entities involved in a programmatic transaction?
- SupplyChain Object (schain) (Correct answer)
- ads.txt
- sellers.json
- DigiTrust
Correct answer: SupplyChain Object (schain)
The SupplyChain Object (schain) is embedded in bid requests and lists every entity that had a role in selling a given impression, enabling buyers to verify the full chain of custody.
Question 5: What is a bot farm in programmatic advertising?
- A network of devices or computers running automated scripts to generate fraudulent ad impressions and clicks (Correct answer)
- A premium publisher network that uses automation to optimize ad fill rates
- A group of DSP algorithms that automatically bid on behalf of multiple advertisers
- A data center used by ad verification vendors to test brand safety tools
Correct answer: A network of devices or computers running automated scripts to generate fraudulent ad impressions and clicks
A bot farm is an operation that uses many devices—often infected consumer devices or virtual machines—to simulate human traffic and generate fraudulent ad interactions at scale.
Question 6: What does sellers.json enable in the programmatic supply chain?
- It allows buyers to verify the identity and type of all entities authorized to sell inventory through an SSP or exchange (Correct answer)
- It publishes a list of approved advertisers that can purchase inventory on a publisher's site
- It certifies that a publisher's ad slots meet MRC viewability standards
- It specifies which DSPs are authorized to bid on a particular publisher's inventory
Correct answer: It allows buyers to verify the identity and type of all entities authorized to sell inventory through an SSP or exchange
sellers.json is hosted by SSPs and exchanges to publicly disclose all sellers (publishers, intermediaries) in their ecosystem, helping buyers verify they are transacting with legitimate parties.
Question 7: Which third-party verification vendor metric measures the percentage of served impressions that had the opportunity to be seen by a human?
- Viewability rate (Correct answer)
- Brand safety rate
- Invalid traffic (IVT) rate
- Completion rate
Correct answer: Viewability rate
Viewability rate measures the proportion of ad impressions that met the MRC's minimum criteria for an ad to have been seen, distinguishing served impressions from viewable ones.
PAC Brand Safety and Ad Fraud Prevention 2
What distinguishes General Invalid Traffic (GIVT) from Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT)?