Mumbai: DoubleVerify, a software platform for digital media measurement, data, and analytics, has announced a strategic partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to deepen its commitment to combatting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) online. This collaboration will enhance DV’s capacity to prevent ads from appearing alongside exploitative and illegal content, reinforcing the integrity of the digital advertising ecosystem.
As a global leader in identifying and removing criminal imagery, the IWF will now provide DV with access to its comprehensive tools and datasets, bolstering DV’s content classification and demonetization capabilities. The initiative aligns with DV’s broader industry commitment to keeping digital advertising safe, responsible, and free from the monetization of harmful content.
“Given its role in the digital advertising ecosystem, DoubleVerify will help lead the way in how adtech companies can help prevent the monetization of CSAM,” said Derek Ray-Hill, CEO of IWF. “This partnership enables us to move faster and further together in the fight to protect children online by scaling efforts to shut down monetization pathways for this harmful content.”
“The fight against illegal and harmful content online requires not just talk, but ongoing, collective action,” said Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify. “By working together across advertisers, adtech platforms, publishers, law enforcement, and third-party experts, we can make a meaningful impact in keeping digital advertising safe, responsible, and free from the monetization of harmful content. We will continue this important work, as illegal content online is a constantly evolving security challenge.”
Earlier this year, DV introduced several initiatives to target ad-supported CSAM across the open web, including:
A “P2P Sharing and Streaming” avoidance category, blocking ad placements on peer-to-peer platforms frequently used for illegal content. This category is enabled by default and supports both pre-bid blocking and post-bid monitoring.
The “Highly Illicit: Do Not Monetize” content category, designed to prevent ad funding on domains flagged by trusted organizations like NCMEC. This category is available for free to all platforms, and nearly 30 have implemented it to date.
Through its new partnership with IWF, DV will now incorporate the IWF’s URL List—a constantly updated index of verified CSAM-hosting webpages—into the “Highly Illicit: Do Not Monetize” category. The IWF, which in 2024 detected more CSAM-hosting webpages than in any prior year, offers an invaluable layer of insight and verification.
Looking ahead, the collaboration aims to further strengthen detection and reporting of CSAM. DV will also contribute by flagging suspicious content not yet known to IWF, enabling swift verification, global law enforcement referrals, and timely removal.
DV’s expanding initiatives are part of its ongoing mission to create a safer digital space, particularly for children. As industry and regulatory momentum builds toward stronger online protections, DV is taking a proactive role by leveraging third-party partnerships and automated technologies to ensure advertising does not inadvertently support exploitative content.
