Known as “programmatic” ad buying, it is now the way the vast majority of digital display ads are sold. Instead of buying space on websites, brands can buy audiences—categories of people—and their ads are placed on sites those people visit. The problems arise when those people are on sites where brands don’t wish to appear. The Tangled World of Digital Ads Online advertisers and their partners can generally target specific groups of users based on certain characteristics. Illustration by Sean McDade … Illustration by Sean McDade … Illustration by Sean McDade … Illustration by Sean McDade … Illustration by Sean McDade … Illustration by Sean McDade … Illustration by Sean McDade … of SHOW CAPTION HIDE CAPTION ofAs the issues pile up, marketers are taking action, with the help of companies that independently verify that their ads aren’t going to toxic locations.

Source: Wall Street Journal June 18, 2017 09:30 UTC