Mumbai: DoubleVerify (DV), the software platform for digital media measurement and analytics, today issued a comprehensive rebuttal to the March 28, 2025 report released by Adalytics. The report, which has gained attention through associated media coverage, claims discrepancies in the detection and billing of General Invalid Traffic (GIVT), suggesting that “advertisers were billed by ad tech vendors for ad impressions served to declared bots.”
DoubleVerify’s response corrects multiple inaccuracies and misrepresentations and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to industry transparency, standards compliance, and fraud prevention. The company emphasized that its practices are aligned with Media Rating Council (MRC) and Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) standards, ensuring invalid impressions are filtered and not billed to advertisers.
Key Takeaways from DV’s Response:
The Report’s Core Claims Are Inaccurate: The assertion that advertisers are charged for GIVT impressions and that pre-bid verification “doesn’t work” is incorrect. DV clarified that GIVT is removed post-bid from billable counts as per industry standards, and its pre-bid solutions effectively eliminate both GIVT and Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT).
DV Detected All Eligible Impressions in All 115 Cases Reviewed: DV’s Fraud Lab analyzed every impression cited in the report and confirmed that all eligible impressions were accurately identified and managed.
Flawed Methodology Based on Mischaracterized Bot: Most of the report’s findings center around URLScan, a non-declared, headless browser bot. Adalytics incorrectly labeled it as “declared bot” traffic, contradicting the bot’s own CEO. Additionally, URLScan is not included on the IAB Spiders & Bots List.
Confusion Between GIVT and SIVT: DV notes that Adalytics conflates GIVT with SIVT, two distinct categories of invalid traffic, thus misleading readers about the effectiveness of fraud detection.
Verification Still Works Post-Bid: DV reassured advertisers that its solutions accurately identify and filter invalid impressions post-bid, even in the absence of pre-bid filtering.
Accurate GIVT Detection for Known Bots & Data Centers: In testing, DV confirmed 100% detection of all GIVT from Known Bots and Known Data Centers cited in the report.
Served Doesn’t Mean Billed: DV emphasized that not all ad impressions that are served are billable, as only valid impressions count—invalid traffic is filtered out in line with industry billing standards.
Leadership in Combating SIVT: Unlike Adalytics, DV has a proven track record in combating real ad fraud. DV has exposed major fraud schemes, partnered with federal agencies, and was instrumental in the conviction of Russian cybercriminal Aleksandr Zhukov, the only documented ad fraud conviction supported by the Department of Justice and FBI.
Lack of Transparency Around the “Mystery Bot”: The third bot referenced in the Adalytics report remains unnamed, hindering peer review and undermining transparency.
Proven Pre-Bid Value: DV’s pre-bid solution extends far beyond invalid traffic filtering. It powers over 2,000 data segments, including metrics for viewability, brand safety, suitability, and contextual alignment, delivering measurable impact across all campaign types.
DoubleVerify reaffirmed its core mission of protecting clients and the broader digital ecosystem through precision, transparency, and innovation. As the company sets the record straight, it encourages advertisers and industry stakeholders to engage critically with reports that lack methodological clarity and misrepresent standard verification practices.
