mFilterIt, is a new-age company that caters to protecting digital integrity across platforms. The company strives toward building trust, upholding integrity, and driving growth & value across the digital ecosystem, and establishing itself as the hallmark for digital integrity by validating all engagements in the digital world. mFilterIt is one of the first companies in the space of Ad Traffic Validation (ATV), Brand Hygiene Protection, and Ecommerce Analytics making it one of the most essential tools in a digital marketer’s handbag.
A few months back it had released its latest Ad Fraud Intelligence Report, highlighting the evolving nature of ad fraud and urging marketers to adopt full-funnel intelligence to safeguard performance and brand reputation.
The report found that even premium and brand-safe environments remain vulnerable to AI-driven fraud, which imitates real user behaviour and bypasses rule-based verification, causing nearly 12% of marketing spend to leak into invalid traffic. It underscores that traditional reliance on metrics such as viewability, clicks, CTR, and installs no longer ensures genuine engagement.
It also reveals contaminated retargeting pools and gaps in contextual brand safety, emphasizing the need for independent oversight and a holistic approach to media trust. The report positions fraud not as isolated incidents but as a connected system impacting branding, performance, and attribution across the funnel.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Amit Relan CEO, co-founder mFilterIt
Q. Sports & GEC advertising still relies on broadcaster-reported visibility. Does this create a trust gap?
Yes, it does. Sports & GEC advertising are powerful ways to reach the target audience. However, when the performance metrics reported by broadcasters does not match with the results, the need for independent validation rises.
Here’s why brands require the third-party validation whose only objective is to report what is right. With this, brands can actually see whether the exposure of their ads is right or not including whether ads were actually visible, for how long, and in what position were they seen.
Q. Premium inventory often doesn’t translate into consistent exposure. How can this gap be managed?
The gap is critical because you are aiming for the best ad placement, yet it is not ensuring what you pay for. But the gap is manageable and with the right strategies, it can be moulded in your favour. Brands must do –
- Frame-level tracking across TV, OTT, CTV, and regional feeds
- Checks on ad position, duration, and the surrounding content
- Quick alerts if something doesn’t go according to plan
Solutions like ADAO help ensure that “premium buys” deliver premium exposure, not just premium pricing.
Q. Brands lack a unified, auditable record of delivery. What’s the way forward?
Currently, brands juggle between multiple ad delivery platforms and scattered data, making the tracking of ad deliveries harder.
The way forward is to establish a single, independent source of truth. This includes:
- Unified logs across all platforms and feeds
- Ad-level, timestamped evidence of exposure
- Auditable reports that can be used by brands, agencies, and auditors
This approach moves media verification from relying on claims to a model based on transparent, evidence-driven accountability.
Q. How is AI-led, frame-by-frame verification a gamechanger?
AI upgrades media verification from limited sampling to complete, census-level validation. It enables:
- Granular, frame-level tracking to confirm every single exposure
- Precise measurement of screen presence and ad prominence for accurate visibility assessment
- Independent, tamper-resistant audit trails that ensure trust, transparency, and accountability
This brings media accountability to the same standard as financial audits, which is especially vital for high-value sports and premium advertising investments.
Q. Sports media is moving toward quick governance. What will mFilterIt do in sports in 2026?
mFilterIt aims to align its comprehensive approach with the evolving governance in sports media. In 2026, our key priorities will largely be on –
- Developing sports advertising governance dashboards
- Enabling live, match-level verification across TV and OTT platforms
- Expanding tracking capabilities for L-band, Aston, mid-break, and on-ground integrations
Our objective is to help brands gain timely visibility and actionable insights during live campaigns, rather than relying solely on post-campaign assessments.
Q. As digital ad spend grows in 2026, will fraud threats grow too?
Yes. As digital investments increase, the ecosystem naturally becomes more complex. With the rapid expansion of platforms, formats, and devices, the overall risk landscape broadens, making proactive detection and monitoring an essential part of responsible media governance.
Q. Will digital media wastage rise in 2026 vs 2025?
Without stronger controls, both absolute wastage and complexity will rise. However, brands adopting AI-powered prevention at the source level can significantly reduce incremental wastage despite higher spends.
Q. Where does the buck stop for ad fraud?
To effectively address ad fraud, shared responsibility and clear ownership are essential. The three key stakeholders in digital advertising must clearly define and uphold their roles:
- Advertisers should actively seek accountability and transparency
- Agencies should consistently implement and enforce safeguards
- Platforms should enable greater visibility and data access
Ultimately, while responsibility is shared, advertisers carry the business risk, and independent validation empowers them to manage that risk with confidence.
Q. Do we need neutral validators or stronger government regulation?
A neutral, independent validator is essential. Regulation helps set guardrails, but technology-led, third-party verification ensures day-to-day accountability. The most effective ecosystem combines self-regulation + independent audits + policy oversight.
Q. Is AI enabling fraud or countering it in 2026?
Integrating AI in your digital operations is a double-edged sword. While AI-driven techniques are being used to create more sophisticated forms of fraud, AI-powered solutions are pulling ahead. Defensive AI is empowering brands with –
- Large-scale pattern recognition
- Early identification of anomalies
- Adaptive and responsive prevention mechanisms
Hence it is safe to say that when applied responsibly, AI becomes the most effective tool for combating fraud, rather than its source.
Q. Does DPDP Act compliance add difficulty in fighting fraud?
Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 simply adds a layer of responsibility rather than limitation. Solutions like ADAO are built with privacy in mind, using non-personal and contextual signals to detect fraud and measure visibility, while staying fully compliant.
Q. Will techniques like spoofing and bots get more sophisticated?
Yes, as the digital advertising continues to evolve, fraudulent activities are also becoming more sophisticated. However, detection and prevention technologies are advancing just as rapidly. Brands must go beyond surface-level analysis and focus on AI-driven intelligence to build a scalable and sustainable defense against fraud.
Q. What is mFilterIt’s growth strategy for 2026?
Our 2026 growth strategy will primarily focus on::
- Enhancing intelligence across sports, OTT, and CTV ecosystems
- Expanding real-time governance and monitoring capabilities
- Advancing AI-driven prevention across the entire media funnel
Our product roadmap will continue to be guided by measurable business outcomes rather than surface-level metrics.
Q. Will mFilterIt invest in seminars and workshops?
Yes, a key priority for us is to strengthen awareness around digital advertising risks and best practices, making education an essential pillar of the ecosystem. To support this, mFilterIt plans to expand:
- Brand and agency workshops
- Industry forums and closed-door roundtables
- Sports and OTT-focused knowledge sessions
We believe that awareness is the first step toward building a more transparent and accountable digital ecosystem.
Q. Where is the whitespace for growth? Is mFilterIt looking abroad?
A significant growth opportunity is emerging in OTT, CTV, and sports media verification, where advertising investments are scaling faster than existing accountability frameworks.
mFilterIt already partners with global brands across leading international OTT platforms, giving us strong experience in cross-market measurement. Our framework, which has matured in regions such as the UAE, has recently expanded into the US ecosystem as well. This positions us well to support international markets that are navigating similar transparency and governance challenges.
Q. Brands are moving away from vanity metrics — does this help?
Absolutely. As brands shift their focus from vanity metrics to meaningful measures like real exposure, attention, and business outcomes, it becomes significantly easier to identify and address fraud. Vanity metrics often create blind spots, while outcome-driven measurement brings greater clarity, accountability, and transparency.
Q. Are advertisers willing to pay extra for ROI?
Yes, but not for buzzwords or superficial innovation. Today’s advertisers are investing in clarity, confidence, and measurable business impact. Verified ROI, reduced wastage, and defensible outcomes are driving decision-making. In this environment, accountability is no longer a cost center; it has become a strategic value multiplier.
