TAG Platinum Companies Increase by >50% as Industry Leaders Extend Best Practices Across TAG’s Fraud, Malware & Brand Safety Certifications

WASHINGTON, DC – March 2, 2023 – The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), the world’s leading program to fight criminal activity and protect brand safety in digital advertising, today announced a record number of TAG companies have achieved “TAG Platinum” status this year by successfully obtaining all three of TAG’s certification seals, including TAG Certified Against Fraud, Certified Against Malware, and Brand Safety Certified.

In total, 23 companies reached TAG Platinum status in 2023, a 53% increase over the 15 companies that did so in the prior year. TAG Platinum companies for 2023 included industry leaders like AdForm, Amazon Advertising, DirectTV, Google, Index Exchange, Initiative, IPONWEB, Kroger, Magna, Magnite, MediaBrands, MediaMath, MobileFuse, OpenX, Publicis Groupe, Sovrn, Spectrum Reach, SpotX, The Trade Desk, UM, Unruly, Xandr, and Yahoo!

"Fraud, piracy, brand safety, and transparency are tightly intertwined challenges, and a gap in protection in one area can quickly be exploited by criminals or cause brand damage in another,” said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG. "Happily, the leading companies in digital advertising understand that the best way to address the connected threats of ad crime, brand safety threats, and lack of transparency is a solid shield of TAG seals. By implementing industry best practices across TAG’s program areas, TAG Platinum companies demonstrate their commitment to a safe, transparent, and crime-free supply chain.”

Overall, 228 TAG certified companies earned a total of 317 seals across TAG’s Certified Against Fraud, Certified Against Malware, and Brand Safety Certified Programs in 2023, a slight increase from the 313 seals earned by 230 companies in 2022. A record two-thirds (67%) of this year’s seals were earned through independent validation, an increase from the 62% earned through independent validation in the prior year. 

Among the companies that obtained TAG Seals for 2023 are:

“Breadth and depth are the key elements of every successful standards program, and this year’s certifications highlight both the breadth and the depth of TAG’s seal programs, with the breadth of 228 certified companies across every sector of digital advertising and the depth from companies increasing their number of seals and achieving TAG Platinum status,” said Todd Miller, VP Policy and Compliance at TAG. “We commend all of this year’s certified companies for their leadership and commitment to protecting the digital advertising ecosystem, and we look forward to working with them to strengthen and enhance our collaboration.” 

More information regarding certified companies is available by searching company name or each company’s unique TAG-ID via the TAG Registry. Additional information includes the specific seals awarded to each company, valid terms for each seal, and whether the seals were based on self-attestation or independent validation.

Additional information about TAG’s programs and the application process for TAG Registration and TAG’s seal programs are available at www.tagtoday.net.  

About the Trustworthy Accountability Group

The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is the global certification program designed to fight against criminal activity and protect brand safety in the digital advertising industry. TAG advances its mission of eliminating fraudulent traffic, facilitating the sharing of threat intelligence, and promoting brand safety by connecting industry leaders, analyzing threats, and sharing best practices worldwide. The 700+ member TAG community includes the world's largest and most influential brands, agencies, publishers, and ad tech providers. For more information on TAG, please visit tagtoday.net.