AT&T’s Xandr partners with clean.io to help safeguard against malicious advertising

clean.io, a cybersecurity firm that launched in 2018 with the aim of combating malicious ads, has entered into an agreement with Xandr – AT&T’s advertising marketplace and analytics company – to help prevent ad fraud.

Through the partnership, Xandr will adopt clean.io’s technology to reduce malicious advertising – or “malvertising” – for publishers, end-users and advertisers.

“By combining our proprietary tools and processes with those of clean.io, Xandr is well-positioned to lead a change in the economic incentives associated with malvertising and, as a result, preserve and protect the consumer experience,” said Steve Truxal, VP of product management at Xandr.

Why we should care

The prevention of ad fraud (and malvertising, by extension) has risen up as a top priority for adtech players, given the growth of programmatic advertising.

As more platforms take measures to protect against bad actors, advertisers are gaining access to a wider array of solutions focused on ad safety, enabling more reliable and effective advertising efforts.

More on the news

• According to CEO Matt Gillis, clean.io identifies malvertising that arises from the malicious execution of unauthorized JavaScript.
• The platform relies on behavioral analysis to root out bad ads rather than industry and internal blocklists.
• clean.io’s technology is now used on more than 13,000 sites, apps and platforms to analyze ads in real-time to stop redirects, the company said.

About The Author

Taylor Peterson

Taylor Peterson was Third Door Media’s Deputy Editor, managing industry-leading coverage that informs and inspires marketers. Based in New York, Taylor brings marketing expertise grounded in creative production and agency advertising for global brands. Taylor's editorial focus blends digital marketing and creative strategy with topics like campaign management, emerging formats, and display advertising.