U.S. senators are demanding answers from brand-safety and ad tech companies after a report from research firm Adalytics alleged that advertisers appeared on image-sharing sites known to host child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said these sites have been repeatedly reported for hosting such content. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal sent letters to the CEOs of Integral Ad Science (IAS) and DoubleVerify.
They expressed serious concerns that current advertising verification and brand-safety products have inadvertently funded websites hosting CSAM. They requested responses from both companies by next Friday. The senators also sent similar letters to the CEOs of Google, Amazon, the Media Ratings Council, and the Trustworthy Accountability Group.
The Adalytics report identified ads for major brands such as Mars, PepsiCo, Domino’s, Amazon, and the Department of Homeland Security. The ads appeared next to explicit content on user-uploaded image-sharing websites. One of these websites had been notified dozens of times over the past three years about hosting CSAM.
Google spokesperson Michael Aciman stated, “We have zero tolerance when it comes to content promoting child sexual abuse and exploitation. Our teams are constantly monitoring Google’s publisher network for this type of content and we refer information to the appropriate authorities.”
Amazon spokesperson Patrick Graham added, “We regret that this occurred and have swiftly taken action to block these websites from showing our ads. We have strict policies in place against serving ads on content of this nature and are taking additional steps to help ensure this does not happen in the future.”
At publication time, Mars, PepsiCo, Domino’s, and the Department of Homeland Security had not responded to a request for comment.
The report noted that Adalytics, a for-profit business selling its own ad-tech services, came across suspected CSAM unintentionally while researching another project. They reported it to law enforcement.
Senators pressure ad tech industry
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection confirmed it received several reports from Adalytics and issued takedown notices for content assessed as CSAM. Some of the ads on the sites appeared to include codes from Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify. However, the report clarifies that the presence of these codes does not necessarily mean the technology was being used for brand-safety purposes.
It may have been for ad delivery or measurement. DoubleVerify stated that DV-measured ads on these sites represented a minute fraction of their total. Their technology had previously prevented numerous ads from appearing on these sites.
“DV has taken immediate additional measures to block this site and affiliated sites for our customers while we conduct our review,” the company announced. Integral Ad Science also affirmed its zero-tolerance policy for illegal activity. They stated that it was reviewing the allegations and remained focused on ensuring media safety for all customers.
Arielle Garcia, COO of Check My Ads Institute, a digital advertising watchdog, remarked that the findings represent a failure throughout the ad-tech supply chain. “Advertisers working with these certified vendors inadvertently funded child abuse. Without page URL-level placement detail, they were essentially powerless in their ability to identify or stop it,” Garcia said.
This investigation adds to the growing scrutiny of brand-safety technologies and practices. Lawmakers are pressing tech companies to allow advertisers better access to specific ad placement information. Legislators Blackburn and Blumenthal have urged all involved companies to take immediate and comprehensive action to prevent inadvertently supporting such heinous activities.
