Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor...
Transcript of Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor...
![Page 1: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Adtech Shenanigans in 2015
Benjamin Edelman
April 18, 2015 UK Investor Show 2015
![Page 2: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
About me • Associate Professor, Harvard Business School
– Teaching: starting and running .COM’s
– Research: Internet architecture and business opportunities, especially vis-à-vis law and regulation
• Consulting: advertising fraud, privacy, compliance – Clients: Advertisers, ad networks, regulators,
publishers, investors.
– My standard terms: I can share information derived from public sources. All my material today is from public sources.
• I speak only for myself.
![Page 3: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Plan for today • Blinkx update
• Other adware
• The broader adtech ecosystem
![Page 4: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Why is the Internet a wild west? • New, fast-changing
– Cheat where no one is looking
– Exploit others’ perpetual optimism
• Long chains of intermediaries – When each step only charges a few percent…
– Lots of finger-pointing when something goes wrong
• Doing business at a distance – Can be hard to find the perpetrator’s location
– Perpetrators can create new identities if caught
– Law enforcement interest when victims are distant?
![Page 5: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
What ads does Blinkx adware show?
![Page 6: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
![Page 7: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
![Page 8: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
![Page 9: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
How do Blinkx adware programs get onto users’ computers?
![Page 10: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
![Page 11: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
attracting users
convincing users to install adware
making adware
brokering adware traffic
selling advertising to advertisers
fake Flash Player
StormWatch
Blinkx
Blinkx
Blinkx
affiliate networks
money traffic
money traffic
money traffic
money traffic
money traffic
getting users Kickass.to
Blinkx “provides the monetization engine
for this application and others like it”
Blinkx Verti Techn’y Group
![Page 12: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
The wider world of modern adware
![Page 13: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
![Page 14: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
![Page 15: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
![Page 16: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
![Page 17: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
![Page 18: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
![Page 19: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
![Page 20: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
![Page 21: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
![Page 22: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
![Page 23: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
![Page 24: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
![Page 25: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
![Page 26: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
…
…
…
…
![Page 27: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Ad networks and exchanges
ad network
ad network
ad network
ad network
ad network
ad exchange
Yahoo RightMedia
AppNexus
![Page 28: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
So much that can go wrong… • Invisibility
• Inventory counterfeiting
• Injection
• Laundering
![Page 29: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
[ad farm creates 14 ads and zero content]
GET http://intadserver101.info/adsidu.php?size=300x250&pub_url=
HTTP/1.1 ...
Referer: [ad farm URL]
HTTP/1.1 200 OK ...
<iframe src="http://ib.adnxs.com/tt?id=3807703&size=300x250&referrer=
http://facebook.com" … width="300" height="250"></iframe>
<iframe src="http://ib.adnxs.com/tt?id=3807703&size=300x250&referrer=
http://facebook.com" … width="300" height="250"></iframe>
GET http://ib.adnxs.com/tt?id=3807703&size=300x250&referrer=http://
facebook.com HTTP/1.1 …
HTTP/1.1 302 Found
…
double-serving
1
2 referer faking
AppNexus brokering obvious
counterfeit traffic
![Page 30: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Revizer (Tel Aviv)
![Page 31: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
![Page 32: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Criteo charging advertisers for traffic they already had
![Page 33: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
![Page 34: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
GET http://c.ztstatic.com/youtube_728x90_Layers_274.htm?clientId=24e079e0-9501-40d0-9c48-edf6002f88e9&l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6AIdXisPqHc&r=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fvideos HTTP/1.1
HTTP/1.1 200 OK …
d.write('<scr' + 'ipt type="text/javascript" src="//serviceama-a.akamaihd.net/js/showads_p.js">'); …
GET http://service.amasvc.com/creative.jsonp?…&rfr=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.youtube.com%252Fvideos… HTTP/1.1 …
HTTP/1.1 200 OK … renderCreative({"creativeTypeId":3,"imageUrl":null,"clickUrl":null,"impressionUrl":"//service.amasvc.com/i?token=583c81e90b274d0aaa1b7fec913f6bc3&e=MQA1ADgAfAAzADkAOAAwADIAMgA1ADcANAB8ADIANQA1AHwAMgA5ADIAMgB8ADIANABlADAANwA5AGUAMAAtADkANQAwADEALQA0ADAAZAAwAC0AOQBjADQAOAAtAGUAZABmADYAMAAwADIAZgA4ADgAZQA5AA&z=1","html":"<!-- BEGIN TAG - DO NOT MODIFY -->\n<script type=\"text/javascript\">\n//<![CDATA[\nepom_key = \"b70f8869af12aadd5be6c60b47ba2eef\";\nepom_channel = \"\";\nepom_code_format = \"ads\";\nepom_ads_host = \"//www.adshost2.com\";\nepom_click = \"\";\nepom_custom_params = {};\nepom_width = \"728\";\nepom_height = \"90\";\n\ndocument.write(\"<script type='text\\/javascript' src='\"+(location.protocol == 'https:' ? 'https:' : 'http:') + \"//www.adshost2.com\\/js/show_ads.js'><\\/script>\");\n//]]>\n</script>\n<!-- END TAG -->\n","campaignId":2922,"adId":4896,"rootToken":"583c81e9-0b27-4d0a-aa1b-7fec913f6bc3","sv":null});
GET http://www.adshost2.com/ads?key=82e86dab897d417b709aa36e56d4dc3d HTTP/1.1 …
HTTP/1.1 200 OK … <iframe src="http://www.healthiwoman.com/content/category/v2/lifestyle-rmb.html" width="300" height="250" style="background-color:000000;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
GET http://www.healthiwoman.com/content/category/v2/lifestyle-rmb.html HTTP/1.1 …
HTTP/1.1 200 OK … <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="60;url=http://www.soyouthinkyoucangame.com/cdn/cdn300s1.html"> <iframe src="http://www.healthiwoman.com/content/category/player/lifestylermb.html?utm_source=rmb&utm_medium= wlifestyle1" height="250" width="300" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
GET http://www.healthiwoman.com/content/category/player/lifestylermb.html?utm_source=rmb&utm_medium=wlifestyle1 HTTP/1.1 …
HTTP/1.1 200 OK … <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://player.grabnetworks.com/js/Player.js"></script> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> var grabPlayer = new com.grabnetworks.Player( { id : 2059505, width : 405, height : 259 } ); grabPlayer.setVolume( 5 ); </script>
.
adware injection into YouTube
IFRAME’ing Healthiwoman
auto reload after 60 seconds
Blinkx’s Grab Media
in Traffic Laundernig
![Page 35: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
Why such a mess? • Long supply chains
• Plausible deniability
• Ad network complacency
• Ad buyer complacency
• Excessive trust in (mis)measured performance
![Page 36: Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 - Ben Edelman · Adtech Shenanigans in 2015 Benjamin Edelman UK Investor Show 2015 April 18, 2015](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022040811/5e5325a164741440c86241f5/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Adtech Shenanigans in 2015
Benjamin Edelman
more examples: http://www.benedelman.org
April 18, 2015 UK Investor Show 2015