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mostlysignssomeportents · 2 years ago

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This is your brain on fraud apologetics

In 1998, two Stanford students published a paper in Computer Networks entitled “The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine,” in which they wrote, “Advertising funded search engines will be inherently biased towards the advertisers and away from the needs of consumers.”

https://research.google/pubs/pub334/

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

The co-authors were Lawrence Page and Sergey Brin, and the “large-scale hypertextual web search-engine” they were describing was their new project, which they called “Google.” They were 100% correct — prescient, even!

On Wednesday night, a friend came over to watch some TV with us. We ordered out. We got scammed. We searched for a great local Thai place we like called Kiin and clicked a sponsored link for a Wix site called “Kiinthaila.com.” We should have clicked the third link down (kiinthaiburbank.com).

We got scammed. The Wix site was a lookalike for Kiin Thai, which marked up their prices by 15% and relayed the order to our local, mom-and-pop, one-branch restaurant. The restaurant knew it, too — they called us and told us they were canceling the order, and said we could still come get our food, but we’d have to call Amex to reverse the charge.

As it turned out, the scammers double-billed us for our order. I called Amex, who advised us to call back in a couple days when the charge posted to cancel it — in other words, they were treating it as a regular customer dispute, and not a systemic, widespread fraud (there’s no way this scammer is just doing this for one restaurant).

In the grand scheme of things, this is a minor hassle, but boy, it’s haunting to watch the quarter-century old prophecy of Brin and Page coming true. Search Google for carpenters, plumbers, gas-stations, locksmiths, concert tickets, entry visas, jobs at the US Post Office or (not making this up) tech support for Google products, and the top result will be a paid ad for a scam. Sometimes it’s several of the top ads.

This kind of “intermediation” business is actually revered in business-schools. As Douglas Rushkoff has written, the modern business wisdom reveres “going meta” — not doing anything useful, but rather, creating a chokepoint between people who do useful things and people who want to pay for those things, and squatting there, collecting rent:

https://rushkoff.medium.com/going-meta-d42c6a09225e

It’s the ultimate passive income/rise and grind side-hustle: It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to discover a whole festering nest of creeps on Tiktok talking about how they pay Mechanical Turks to produce these lookalike sites at scale.

This mindset is so pervasive that people running companies with billions in revenue and massive hoards of venture capital run exactly the same scam. During lockdown, companies like Doordash, Grubhub and Uber Eats stood up predatory lookalike websites for local restaurants, without their consent, and played monster-in-the-middle, tricking diners into ordering through them:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/19/we-are-beautiful/#man-in-the-middle

These delivery app companies were playing a classic enshittification game: first they directed surpluses to customers to lock them in (heavily discounting food), then they directed surplus to restaurants (preferential search results, free delivery, low commissions) — then, having locked in both consumers and producers, they harvested the surplus for themselves.

Today, delivery apps charge massive premiums to both eaters and restaurants, load up every order with junk fees, and clone the most successful restaurants out of ghost kitchens — shipping containers in parking lots crammed with low-waged workers cranking out orders for 15 different fake “virtual restaurants”:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/01/autophagic-buckeyes/#subsidized-autophagia

Delivery apps speedran the enshittification cycle, but Google took a slower path to get there. The company has locked in billions of users (e.g. by paying billions to be the default search on Safari and Firefox and using legal bullying to block third party Android device-makers from pre-installing browsers other than Chrome). For years, it’s been leveraging our lock-in to prey on small businesses, getting them to set up Google Business Profiles.

These profiles are supposed to help Google distinguish between real sellers and scammers. But Kiin Thai has a Google Business Profile, and searching for “kiin thai burbank” brings up a “Knowledge Panel” with the correct website address — on a page that is headed with a link to a scam website for the same business. Google, in other words, has everything it needs to flag lookalike sites and confirm them with their registered owners. It would cost Google money to do this — engineer-time to build and maintain the system, content moderator time to manually check flagged listings, and lost ad-revenue from scammers — but letting the scams flourish makes Google money, at the expense of Google users and Google business customers.

Now, Google has an answer for this: they tell merchants who are being impersonated by ad-buying scammers that all they need to do is outbid them for the top ad-spot. This is a common approach — Amazon has a $31b/year “ad business” that’s mostly its own platform sellers bidding against each other to show you fake results for your query. The first five screens of Amazon search results are 50% ads:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/#relentless-payola

This is “going meta,” so naturally, Meta is doing it too: Facebook and Instagram have announced a $12/month “verification” badge that will let you report impersonation and tweak the algorithm to make it more likely that the posts you make are shown to the people who explicitly asked to see them:

https://www.vox.com/recode/2023/2/21/23609375/meta-verified-twitter-blue-checkmark-badge-instagram-facebook

The corollary of this, of course, is that if you don’t pay, they won’t police your impersonators, and they won’t show your posts to the people who asked to see them. This is pure enshittification — the surplus from users and business customers is harvested for the benefit of the platform owners:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

The idea that merchants should master the platforms as a means of keeping us safe from their impersonators is a hollow joke. For one thing, the rules change all the time, as the platforms endlessly twiddle the knobs that determine what gets shown to whom:

https://doctorow.medium.com/twiddler-1b5c9690cce6

And they refuse to tell anyone what the rules are, because if they told you what the rules were, you’d be able to bypass them. Content moderation is the only infosec domain where “security through obscurity” doesn’t get laughed out of the room:

https://doctorow.medium.com/como-is-infosec-307f87004563

Worse: the one thing the platforms do hunt down and exterminate with extreme prejudice is anything that users or business-customers use to twiddle back — add-ons and plugins and jailbreaks that override their poor choices with better ones:

https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/29/23378541/the-og-app-instagram-clone-pulled-from-app-store

As I was submitting complaints about the fake Kiin scam-site (and Amex’s handling of my fraud call) to the FTC, the California Attorney General, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and Wix, I wrote a little Twitter thread about what a gross scam this is:

https://twitter.com/doctorow/status/1628948906657878016

The thread got more than two million reads and got picked up by Hacker News and other sites. While most of the responses evinced solidarity and frustration and recounted similar incidents in other domains, a significant plurality of the replies were scam apologetics — messages from people who wanted to explain why this wasn’t a problem after all.

The most common of these was victim-blaming: “you should have used an adblocker” or “never click the sponsored link.” Of course, I do use an ad-blocker — but this order was placed with a mobile browser, after an absentminded query into the Google search-box permanently placed on the home screen, which opens results in Chrome (where I don’t have an ad-blocker, so I can see material behind an ad-blocker-blocker), not Firefox (which does have an ad-blocker).

Now, I also have a PiHole on my home LAN, which blocks most ads even in a default browser — but earlier this day, I’d been on a public wifi network that was erroneously blocking a website (the always excellent superpunch.net) so I’d turned my wifi off, which meant the connection came over my phone’s 5G connection, bypassing the PiHole:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/28/shut-yer-pi-hole/

“Don’t click a sponsored link” — well, the irony here is that if you habitually use a browser with an ad-blocker, and you backstop it with a PiHole, you never see sponsored links, so it’s easy to miss the tiny “Sponsored” notification beside the search result. That goes double if you’re relaxing with a dinner guest on the sofa and ordering dinner while chatting.

There’s a name for this kind of security failure: the Swiss Cheese Model. We all have multiple defenses (in my case: foreknowledge of Google’s ad-scam problem, an ad-blocker in my browser, LAN-wide ad sinkholing). We also have multiple vulnerabilities (in my case: forgetting I was on 5G, being distracted by conversation, using a mobile device with a permanent insecure search bar on the homescreen, and being so accustomed to ad-blocked results that I got out of the habit of checking whether a result was an ad).

If you think you aren’t vulnerable to scams, you’re wrong — and your confidence in your invulnerability actually increases your risk. This isn’t the first time I’ve been scammed, and it won’t be the last — and every time, it’s been a Swiss Cheese failure, where all the holes in all my defenses lined up for a brief instant and left me vulnerable:

https://locusmag.com/2010/05/cory-doctorow-persistence-pays-parasites/

Other apologetics: “just call the restaurant rather than using its website.” Look, I know the people who say this don’t think I have a time-machine I can use to travel back to the 1980s and retrieve a Yellow Pages, but it’s hard not to snark at them, just the same. Scammers don’t just set up fake websites for your local businesses — they staff them with fake call-centers, too. The same search that takes you to a fake website will also take you to a fake phone number.

Finally, there’s “What do you expect Google to do? They can’t possibly detect this kind of scam.” But they can. Indeed, they are better situated to discover these scams than anyone else, because they have their business profiles, with verified contact information for the merchants being impersonated. When they get an ad that seems to be for the same business but to a different website, they could interrupt the ad process to confirm it with their verified contact info.

Instead, they choose to avoid the expense, and pocket the ad revenue. If a company promises to “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” I think we have the right to demand these kinds of basic countermeasures:

https://www.google.com/search/howsearchworks/our-approach/

The same goes for Amex: when a merchant is scamming customers, they shouldn’t treat complaints as “chargebacks” — they should treat them as reports of a crime in progress. Amex has the bird’s eye view of their transaction flow and when a customer reports a scam, they can backtrack it to see if the same scammer is doing this with other merchants — but the credit card companies make money by not chasing down fraud:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosalindadams/mastercard-visa-fraud

Wix also has platform-scale analytics that they could use to detect and interdict this kind of fraud — when a scammer creates a hundred lookalike websites for restaurants and uses Wix’s merchant services to process payments for them, that could trigger human review — but it didn’t.

Where do all of these apologetics come from? Why are people so eager to leap to the defense of scammers and their adtech and fintech enablers? Why is there such an impulse to victim-blame?

I think it’s fear: in their hearts, people — especially techies — know that they, too, are vulnerable to these ripoffs, but they don’t want to admit it. They want to convince themselves that the person who got scammed made an easily avoidable mistake, and that they themselves will never make a similar mistake.

This is doubly true for readerships on tech-heavy forums like Twitter or (especially) Hacker News. These readers know just how many vulnerabilities there are — how many holes are in their Swiss cheese — and they are also overexposed to rise-and-grind/passive income rhetoric.

This produces a powerful cognitive dissonance: “If all the ‘entrepreneurs’ I worship are just laying traps for the unwary, and if I am sometimes unwary, then I’m cheering on the authors of my future enduring misery.” The only way to resolve this dissonance — short of re-evaluating your view of platform capitalism or questioning your own immunity to scams — is to blame the victim.

The median Hacker News reader has to somehow resolve the tension between “just install an adblocker” and “Chrome’s extension sandbox is a dumpster fire and it’s basically impossible to know whether any add-on you install can steal every keystroke and all your other data”:

https://mattfrisbie.substack.com/p/spy-chrome-extension

In my Twitter thread, I called this “the worst of all possible timelines.” Everything we do is mediated by gigantic, surveillant monopolists that spy on us comprehensively from asshole to appetite — but none of them, not a 20th century payment giant nor a 21st century search giant — can bestir itself to use that data to keep us safe from scams.

Next Thu (Mar 2) I'll be in Brussels for Antitrust, Regulation and the Political Economy, along with a who's-who of European and US trustbusters. It's livestreamed, and both in-person and virtual attendance are free:

https://www.brusselsconference.com/registration

On Fri (Mar 3), I'll be in Graz for the Elevate Festival:

https://elevate.at/diskurs/programm/event/e23doctorow/

[Image ID: A modified version of Hieronymus Bosch's painting 'The Conjurer,' which depicts a scam artist playing a shell-game for a group of gawking rubes. The image has been modified so that the scam artist's table has a Google logo and the pea he is triumphantly holding aloft bears the 'Sponsored' wordmark that appears alongside Google search results.]

#pluralistic #victim blaming #fraud #going meta #douglas rushkoff #ad-tech #local search #wix #amex #thai food #business #rent-seeking #entrepreneurship #passive income #chokepoint capitalism #platform lawyers

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mariacallous · 1 month ago

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Digital advertising is a whopping $700 billion (£530 billion) industry that remains largely unregulated, with few laws in place to protect brands and consumers. Companies and brands advertising products often don’t know which websites display their ads. I run Check My Ads, an ad tech watchdog, and we constantly deal with situations where advertisers and citizens have been the victims of lies, scams, and manipulations. We have removed ads from websites with serious disinformation about Covid-19, false election content, and even AI-generated obituaries.

Currently, if a brand wants to advertise a product, Google facilitates the ad placement based on desired ad reach and metrics. It may technically follow through on the agreement by delivering views and clicks, but does not provide transparent data about how and where the ad views came from. It is possible that the ad was shown on unsavory websites diametrically opposed to the brand’s values. For example, in 2024, Google was found to be profiting by placing product ads on websites that promoted hardcore pornography, disinformation, and even hate speech, against the brands’ wishes.

In 2025, however, this scandal will end, as we start to enact the first regulations targeting the digital advertising industry. Around the world, lawmakers in Brussels, Ottawa, Washington, and London are already in the early stages of developing regulation that will ensure brands have access to the legal support to ask questions, check ad data, and receive automatic refunds when they find that their digital campaigns have been subject to fraud or safety violations.

In Canada, for example, Parliament is deliberating the enactment of the Online Harms Act, a law to incentivize the removal of sexual content involving minors. The idea behind this law is that if the content is illegal, then making money off it should be illegal, too.

In California and New York, advocates are also proposing legislation that will aim to implement a know-your-customer law to track the global financial trade of advertising. This is significant because these two states power the global ad tech industry. New York has more ad tech companies than any other city in the world. Transparency laws enacted in California, on the other hand, would affect Google’s international advertising business—by far the biggest ad tech company in the world.

Beyond brand and consumer issues, the unregulated nature of the digital advertising landscape is a direct threat to democracy. In the US, for instance, presidential campaign spending remains effectively unregulated. It is estimated that the presidential campaigns will spend up to $2 billion (£1.5 billion) on digital advertising in 2024. With current laws, we will likely have no external data about their refunds or rates.

In 2025, the legislative pressure is on for big tech companies to regulate ad technology.

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vavuska · 3 months ago

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I thought this one would be just another developer of mobile game that use The Sims 4 contents in its (fake) ads to fraud users by making people belive it is its game, when it has a completely different gameplay.

Unfortunately, Room Makover by FlyBird Casual Games is much more than this.

Room Makover has plenty of false ads. This time I actually tried the game, because the pictures and videos on Google Play were cute and I decided to give it a try.

I was so naive. Happens that the whole page on Google Play is full of fake contents.

It's just one of those mobile games in which you have to match and remove nails. Every time you pass a level, you will rewarded with bills that you can use to unlock part of a building under "makeover". You have just three option for every part of the building or the room to choose between.

There is nothing creative. Not actual building or cluttering rooms or decoring.

As, always, since I'm a curious little bitch, I decided to dig further into this FlyBird Casual Game and... Oh. God. Their site looks even less legit than LUCKY FORTUNE GAMES' one!

It is just a void page. There is nothing here. NOTHING. The only two working section are the privacy and conditions of use, in which they try to convince you that they didn't have any liability for damages or fraud committed.

The privacy one is curious, because mentions this Commissioner's Office in UK and a long list of partners. Both for ads and for data collection, which is hugely uncommon for this kind of games.

Sooooo... In this magical list of apps, I noticed a few tech nightmares, which I will explain briefly here:

Aarki is an AI company that builds advertising solutions to drive mobile revenue growth. Traslated from bullshit: they use AI to generate fake ads and sells it to shady corps.

Blind Ferret is the big deal here! Not only gave you digital marketing solutions, data collection and analytics, but also pays influencers and product placement on social media to promote the game and, hear me out, CREATE fake ads too! It's literally written in their site: "Our Creative Services don’t just make things look pretty. Our team uses data to guide us! How do we make brands shine? By turning the arts into a numbers game with top-performing creative content." This include: Graphic Design, Illustration, 2D Animation, Video Editing and Composition, Copywriting and conceptualizing.

InMobi is a big Corp that does native advertising, which means promoted contents, collabs with influencers, etc.

Ironsource. This one is a fucking cancer. IronSource Ltd. is an Israeli software company that focuses on developing technologies for app monetization and distribution, with its core production focused on the app economy. That would sound harmless, but Samsung use it in its budget and midrange smartphone to install multiple third-party apps during the set-up process. This platform slips bloatware on the pretext of recommended apps, leading to apps clutter and reduction in on-board storage space. The only purpose it exists on Samsung phones is to download games without your consent with no way to remove it (no app installed).

Mintegral is another fucking tech nightmare. Not only poses serious threats to your privacy and datas, but also uses malicious codes to spy your activity and when you seem intentioned to install a mobile app, Mintegral’s software would then fire off fake clicks on non-existent ads to claim credit for the install and essentially collect a bounty from app publishers who pay ad networks to promote their apps.

Mistplay is one of those "play to earn bucks" that I find very very dangerous. Because YOUR data are their revenue.

Tapjoy does monetization of ads and also surveys, that force users to download one from a long list of games, download it and playing for hours or since it is gained some in-game prize. This surveys are rewarded with credits and user can spend on the mobile game they actually want to play. Tapjoy has a huge market among IMVU users, who need credits to buy piece of clothing and accessories for their avi.

The other apps do mobile app marketing, using data collection that allow shady corps to target more gullable and naive people to scam. Plus they do also monetization surveys to earn money and at the same time forcefully grow the engagement of this shady corps.

Obviously, there is no user support mail listed in their Google Play page, but at least this has a contact mail listed on their website: [email protected]

As always, stay safe and please tell me if you know more about everything above or know the person who create this build first.

Help people to stay safe.

Thank you.

<<< previous Coloring app uses design of The Sims 4 builds without the consent of the creators and other mobile developers steal TS4 speed build contents and claim it's the actual gameplay of their mobile game.

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daisystuff · 2 years ago

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honest-review360 · 14 days ago

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Competitive Rates: Balances affordability for advertisers with high payouts for publishers.

For exact pricing and rate estimations, it’s best to consult with AdSmaato’s team or test campaigns on the platform to gauge performance in your specific niche or region.

How AdSmaato.Com Ensures the Traffic Quality?

AdSmaato is committed to delivering high-quality traffic to advertisers. The platform uses a combination of technology, human oversight, and industry best practices to ensure that traffic is legitimate, engaged, and of high value. Here’s a breakdown of how AdSmaato maintains and guarantees traffic quality:

1. Anti-Fraud Technology

Advanced Algorithms: AdSmaato uses AI-powered algorithms to detect and block fraudulent traffic, including bot traffic and invalid clicks.

Traffic Certification: The platform works with certified traffic sources, ensuring that all impressions are from genuine users.

Pre-Bid Fraud Prevention: Fraudulent traffic is filtered out before bids are placed in the programmatic auction.

2. Publisher Verification

Manual Review: Each publisher is vetted to ensure that they provide high-quality, authentic traffic. Publishers must meet certain quality standards to join AdSmaato’s network.

Traffic Sources: Only trusted, reputable publishers with proven traffic sources are allowed to participate, helping to guarantee quality.

3. Traffic Segmentation & Targeting

Behavioral Targeting: AdSmaato allows advertisers to target highly specific user segments, ensuring ads are shown to users who are most likely to engage.

Geo-Targeting: AdSmaato provides the ability to target users by location, ensuring that campaigns are reaching the right demographic in high-value markets.

Device & OS Targeting: Publishers can choose which devices and operating systems their ads appear on, helping ensure ads are shown to relevant audiences.

Automatic Optimization: AdSmaato allow its advertiser and publisher for Automatic ad optimization based on its audience behaviour with deeply understanding of advertiser needs.

4. Transparency in Reporting

Real-Time Analytics: AdSmaato offers transparent and real-time reporting, allowing advertisers to track and measure the performance of campaigns.

Detailed Metrics: Metrics like Total Ad Click, Total Ad Impression, CTR, CPC, CPM, and engagement allow advertisers to assess the effectiveness of their ads.

5. Brand Safety

Safe Ad Inventory: AdSmaato filters out low-quality or irrelevant ad content, ensuring only brand-safe ads appear on publisher sites and apps.

Ad Quality Control: Only high-quality, approved ads are served to users, ensuring that both advertisers and publishers maintain a positive user experience.

6. Audience Quality

Engaged Audience: AdSmaato prioritizes delivering traffic from users who are more likely to engage with ads, resulting in better campaign performance.

No Bot Traffic: Through sophisticated detection methods, AdSmaato ensures that ads are not served to bots, which would otherwise skew campaign results and diminish ROI.

Why Traffic Quality Matters?

For Advertisers:

Higher ROI: Quality traffic leads to better conversion rates, ensuring more effective ad spend.

Targeted Campaigns: With high-quality traffic, advertisers can reach the right audience at the right time, increasing their chances of successful campaigns.

For Publishers:

Better Revenue: High-quality traffic leads to higher CPM/CPC rates and more consistent earnings.

Brand Trust: Publishers that provide quality traffic attract better advertisers and long-term partnerships.

Indicators of Quality Traffic on AdSmaato.Com

Low Bounce Rate: Users are engaged and interacting with ads rather than leaving the page quickly.

High Click-Through Rate (CTR): A higher CTR typically signals that the audience finds the ads relevant and engaging.

Geographic and Demographic Relevance: Ads are shown to users in the right locations and with appropriate interests or behaviors.

AdSmaato works diligently to ensure that both advertisers and publishers have access to high-quality traffic, optimizing campaign performance and maximizing revenue potential.

AdSmaato Coverage Area:

Global Reach

AdSmaato delivers ads to over 100+ countries, ensuring a wide geographic presence.

Supports campaigns in key markets such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa.

High-Traffic Regions

North America: High-quality traffic from the United States and Canada, known for strong purchasing power.

Europe: Covers major economies like the UK, Germany, France, and emerging Eastern European markets.

Asia-Pacific: Extensive coverage in regions like India, China, Southeast Asia, and Australia, leveraging the rapidly growing digital audience.

Localized Campaigns

Enables hyper-targeted campaigns with advanced demographic, interest, and behavioral targeting options.

Allows advertisers to reach specific audiences within regions or even cities.

Emerging Markets

AdSmaato taps into rapidly developing markets in Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, providing cost-effective advertising opportunities with growing digital penetration.

Factors Supporting AdSmaato’s Trust

1. Verified Publishers and Advertisers

AdSmaato works only with certified publishers and verified advertisers, ensuring a trustworthy ecosystem.

Advanced algorithms filter fraudulent traffic, ensuring high-quality ad impressions and clicks.

2. Anti-Fraud Technology

The platform employs cutting-edge anti-fraud mechanisms to protect campaigns from bot traffic and ad fraud.

3. Transparency in Reporting

Real-time analytics and reporting tools provide full visibility into campaign and traffic performance.

Clear payout policies and performance metrics ensure advertisers and publishers know what they are getting.

4. Flexible and Secure Payment Options

AdSmaato supports trusted payment gateways, including PayPal, Payeer, Tether, Ethereum, Cryptomus, and more.

Regular and timely payouts contribute to a strong reputation for reliability.

5. Positive User Feedback

Advertisers appreciate the high-quality traffic, advanced targeting, and customizable ad formats.

Publishers commend the competitive CPMs, diverse ad formats, and easy integration process.

6. Compliance with Industry Standards

AdSmaato adheres to best practices for data privacy and ad quality, building confidence among users.

Focuses on brand safety, ensuring only suitable ads are displayed.

Trust Indicators

Uptime & Support: A 99.9% uptime guarantee and 24/7 customer support demonstrate reliability.

Global Reach: Over 16 million daily impressions and presence in 100+ countries add to its credibility.

Longevity: While relatively new, AdSmaato’s rapid growth and positive feedback from users indicate strong potential.

How Advertisers Benefit with AdSmaato.Com?

How It Works for Advertisers?

1. Easy Onboarding

Account Setup: Advertisers can sign up quickly and access the platform’s dashboard.

Dedicated Support: A customer success team is available to assist with setup and campaign strategies.

2. Campaign Creation

Multiple Campaign Goals: Performance-based (CPC) campaigns. Brand awareness (CPM) campaigns.

Ad Formats: Choose from banner ads, native ads, video ads, feed ads, and smart link ads to fit marketing goals.

3. Targeting Options

Audience Segmentation: Target based on demographics, interests, location, and behavior.

Custom Audiences: Build and target specific user segments for personalized ads.

Geo-Targeting: Reach users in specific regions or countries to ensure relevance.

4. Budget Control

Flexible Budgets: Set daily or total budgets with no mandatory minimums.

Real-Time Bidding (RTB): Optimize ad spend by competing only for relevant impressions.

5. Ad Delivery

Programmatic Advertising: Access premium inventory via automated ad exchanges.

Ad Fraud Protection: Advanced algorithms filter fraudulent traffic to ensure authentic impressions and clicks.

6. Analytics & Optimization

Real-Time Reporting: Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like CTR, CPC, conversions, and ROI.

AI-Powered Optimization: Leverage automated tools to improve ad performance based on insights.

Custom Reporting: Detailed reports to track campaign success and make data-driven decisions.

Supported Payment Methods at AdSmaato.Com

Bank Wire Transfer

Ideal for larger transactions.

Commonly used by enterprises for secure transfers.

PayPal

Popular for its ease of use and speed.

Preferred for smaller, faster transactions.

Cryptocurrency Payments Gateway

Payeer: An all-in-one payment system supporting multiple currencies and crypto.

Capitalist: A platform supporting seamless global transfers.

Cryptomus: For secure and anonymous cryptocurrency payments.

Tether (USDT): Stablecoin pegged to the US dollar for minimal volatility.

Ethereum (ETH): For users who prefer blockchain-based payments.

Bitcoin via BTC Pay: Decentralized and secure Bitcoin transactions.

Benefits for Advertisers

Access to high-quality traffic from over 17,000 publishers.

Advanced targeting and audience segmentation for precise ad delivery.

Multiple ad formats and platforms ensure creative flexibility.

Transparent analytics and reporting ensure measurable results.

AdSmaato is ideal for businesses of all sizes, offering tools and services that simplify digital advertising while maximizing ROI.

How Publishers Benefit with AdSmaato.Com?

How It Works for Publishers?

1. Simple Onboarding

Registration: Publishers can quickly sign up and integrate their websites or apps with AdSmaato.

Approval Process: AdSmaato reviews the publisher’s traffic and content quality to ensure compliance with its guidelines.

2. Configure Ads

Code Implementation: AdSmaato provides ad tags, SDKs, or APIs for seamless integration into the publisher’s platform.

Flexible Integration Options: Publishers can choose from JavaScript tags, header bidding, or server-to-server setups.

3. Ad Formats

Publishers can display a variety of ad formats tailored to their audience and content style, including:

Native Ads: Blend seamlessly with content for a non-intrusive user experience.

Banner Ads: Standard ad placements for maximum visibility.

Smart Link Ads: In-stream and out-stream video ads.

Web Feed Ads: Perfect for news or product-based sites.

4. Revenue Maximization

Programmatic Monetization: Leverage real-time bidding (RTB) to sell impressions to the highest bidder.

Global Demand Partners: AdSmaato connects publishers to premium advertisers worldwide.

High CPM Rates: Earn competitive rates with access to top-tier advertisers.

5. Fraud Prevention

Certified Inventory: AdSmaato uses advanced anti-fraud technology to ensure that publishers receive genuine and non-bot traffic.

Brand-Safe Ads: Ensures only high-quality, relevant ads are displayed on publisher platforms.

6. Analytics & Reporting

Real-Time Insights: Publishers can track revenue, impressions, eCPMs, and performance in real-time.

Custom Reporting Tools: Analyze traffic patterns and optimize ad placements for better results.

7. Payment & Support

Payment Methods: AdSmaato supports Bank transfers, Tether (USDT), Payoneer, Wise and more.

Timely Payouts: AdSmaato ensures regular payouts on a Net-30 or Net-60 basis.

24/7 Support: A dedicated support team is available to assist publishers with any technical or operational issues.

Benefits for Publishers

Monetize traffic with access to global advertisers and premium campaigns.

Flexible ad formats that enhance user experience without compromising performance.

Real-time analytics and insights to optimize ad placements and increase revenue.

Anti-fraud measures to protect publishers and maintain trustworthiness.

AdSmaato is a reliable partner for publishers seeking to maximize their earnings while maintaining control over their content and audience experience.

Payment Process for Publishers

Payment Methods AdSmaato supports a range of payment methods, allowing publishers to choose their preferred option:

Bank Transfers

PayPal

Tether (USDT)

Payoneer

Wise

Payout Frequency

Net-30 or Net-60: Payments are typically made 30 or 60 days after the end of the month, depending on the agreement between AdSmaato and the publisher.

Payment Threshold

Publishers must meet a minimum payout threshold, which varies depending on the payment method. Generally, this can range from $500 to $1000 for Payoneer, Wise and Wire Transfers. For crypto payments, the threshold may be lower.

AdSmaato Dashboard

Real-Time Earnings Tracker: Publishers can monitor their earnings in real-time through the AdSmaato dashboard.

Detailed Reports: The dashboard provides detailed reports that include earnings, clicks, impressions, and payout history. These reports can be used as proof of earnings.

How to Verify Payments?

Check Your Wallet or Bank Account: After a payment is made, publishers can verify the deposit in their bank account or crypto wallet.

Payment Confirmation Email: AdSmaato typically sends an email notification when a payment is processed, which includes the payment amount and method.

Customer Support: If there are any issues with payments, AdSmaato’s dedicated support team is available 24/7 to assist publishers and provide clarification.

Payment Frequency for Publisher:

AdSmaato has a reliable and transparent payment system for publishers, ensuring they are paid for the traffic and ad impressions they generate. While I don’t have direct access to individual publisher payment proofs, here’s how the payment process works and how publishers can verify their payments:

AdSmaato typically operates on Net-30, NET-60 and NET-90 payout schedules, depending on user agreements. Confirm the payment terms, including minimum thresholds, with the AdSmaato support team for clarity.

This comprehensive list of payment methods ensures that advertisers and publishers have multiple avenues to manage payouts efficiently, whether they prefer traditional banking or cutting-edge crypto solutions.

Frequently Ask Question (FAQ)

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about AdSmaato, covering essential topics for both advertisers and publishers:

Q1: What/Who is AdSmaato?AdSmaato is a global ad network that connects advertisers with publishers, offering advanced targeting options, multiple ad formats, and programmatic advertising solutions.

Q2: Who can use AdSmaato? AdSmaato is designed for advertisers looking to run digital campaigns and publishers seeking to monetize their web or social traffic.

Q3: How can I sign up or use it? You can sign up directly through AdSmaato’s website by filling out the registration form. Approval is typically required for both advertisers and publishers.

FAQ For Advertisers

Q4: What ad formats are available? AdSmaato offers a variety of ad formats, including:

Banner ads

Native ads

Web Feed ads

Smart link ads

Q5: What targeting options does AdSmaato offer? AdSmaato provides demographic, behavioral, location-based, and interest-based targeting, as well as custom audience options.

Q6: What is the payment model for advertisers? AdSmaato supports PPC (Pay-Per-Click), CPM (Cost-Per-Mille) payment models.

Q7: How can I track my campaign performance? Advertisers have access to real-time reporting and analytics tools to monitor metrics like Ad click, Ad Impressions, CTR, CPC, CPM and ROI.

For Publishers

Q8: How do publishers monetize traffic with AdSmaato? Publishers can monetize traffic by integrating AdSmaato’s ad tags, SDKs, or APIs and displaying ads from its network of global advertisers.

Q9: What are the requirements for publishers? Publishers need to provide high-quality content and ensure compliance with AdSmaato’s guidelines to be approved.

Q10: How does AdSmaato prevent fraud? AdSmaato uses advanced anti-fraud algorithms and traffic certification to ensure all impressions and clicks are genuine.

Q11: What payment methods are available for publishers? Publishers can choose from multiple payment options, including:

Bank Transfers

Payoneer

Wise

Tether (USDT)

Q12: What is the payout schedule? Payments are typically made on a Net-30 or Net-60 basis, depending on the publisher’s agreement with AdSmaato.

Technical & Support

Q13: Is there customer support available? Yes, AdSmaato provides 24/7 customer support for advertisers and publishers.

Q14: What integrations does AdSmaato support? AdSmaato supports OpenRTB, custom APIs, and SDKs for seamless integration into websites and apps.

Q15: Is AdSmaato safe to use? Yes, AdSmaato employs strict traffic quality controls and brand-safe advertising practices to ensure a secure experience for users.

Miscellaneous

Q16: Does AdSmaato support cryptocurrency payments? Yes, AdSmaato supports payments in Tether (USDT), Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin(BTC), Bitcoin via BTC Pay, and more through platforms like Cryptomus, Payeer, Capitalist etc. more.

Q17: What regions does AdSmaato cover? AdSmaato has a global reach, serving ads in over 100+ countries, including key markets in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Pros of AdSmaato.Com

For Advertisers

Advanced Targeting Options: AdSmaato offers a variety of targeting methods, including geo-targeting, behavioral targeting, and device targeting, helping advertisers reach the most relevant audience for better campaign performance.

Multiple Ad Formats: A wide range of ad formats like native ads, video ads, banner ads, and feed ads allows advertisers to choose the best fit for their campaigns and audience.

Real-Time Reporting & Analytics: Advertisers get real-time access to detailed analytics and performance metrics, helping them track KPIs like impressions, CTR, CPC, and conversions.

Global Reach: With access to over 8 billion daily impressions from 100+ countries, AdSmaato offers significant global exposure for campaigns, especially in Tier 1 markets.

Fraud Prevention: AdSmaato utilizes advanced anti-fraud algorithms to ensure that ads are shown to real, engaged users and that fraudulent traffic is filtered out.

Flexible Budgeting: Advertisers can set budgets according to their preferences and use flexible pricing models like CPC, CPM to control costs.

Transparent Payment System: The platform supports multiple payment options, including PayPal, bank transfers, and cryptocurrencies (Tether, Ethereum, Bitcoin), offering flexibility for advertisers.

For Publishers

High CPM Rates: Publishers can earn competitive CPM rates, especially with premium ad formats like native and video ads.

Easy Integration: Publishers can quickly integrate AdSmaato’s ad tags, SDKs, or APIs into their websites or apps. The process is straightforward, and setup is fast.

Monetization Across Multiple Formats: AdSmaato offers a variety of ad formats to choose from, ensuring that publishers can match the right ads to their audience for optimal revenue.

Global Demand for Ads: Publishers have access to a vast network of advertisers from all over the world, ensuring a steady flow of high-quality ads and diverse monetization opportunities.

Fraud Protection: AdSmaato’s traffic verification tools and fraud prevention systems ensure that publishers only receive genuine ad traffic, reducing the risk of invalid clicks and bot traffic.

Flexible Payment Options: Publishers can choose from various payment methods like PayPal, bank transfers, and cryptocurrency payments (Tether, Bitcoin, etc.), making the platform adaptable to different regions and preferences.

Cons of AdSmaato.Com

For Advertisers

Learning Curve for New Users: Some advertisers, especially those new to programmatic advertising, might find the platform’s dashboard and reporting features a bit overwhelming at first.

Minimum Spend Requirements: While there are no strict minimums for starting a campaign, certain advanced targeting options and high-volume campaigns can require significant budgets, which may not be suitable for small businesses or startups.

Limited Control Over Ad Placement: In some cases, advertisers may have limited control over where their ads are displayed within publisher websites and apps, which could impact campaign performance if not properly optimized.

For Publishers

Revenue May Vary by Traffic Source: CPM rates can fluctuate depending on the quality and source of traffic, and publishers in some regions or with less premium traffic may not earn as much.

Minimum Payout Threshold: AdSmaato requires publishers to meet a minimum payout threshold, which can vary by payment method. For smaller publishers, this may be a barrier to receiving payments quickly.

Dependence on Programmatic Demand: Publishers who rely on programmatic advertising through AdSmaato may experience inconsistent revenues, especially during periods of low demand or when competition for ad space is high.

Ad Quality Control: While AdSmaato ensures brand safety, some publishers may find that the ad quality or the relevance of some ads could be lower than expected, depending on the demand from advertisers.

Conclusion

AdSmaato is a versatile platform that offers numerous advantages for both advertisers and publishers, including advanced targeting, real-time analytics, a variety of ad formats, and a global reach. However, the platform also has some limitations, such as the learning curve for new users, fluctuating CPM rates, and the dependency on programmatic demand.

Advertisers and publishers should weigh the pros and cons based on their specific goals, audience, and needs to determine if AdSmaato is the right choice for their digital advertising or monetization strategy.

#advertising #paid marketing #paid advertising #seo #social media marketing #ad network #trusted network

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slopes-dev · 19 days ago

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Effective eCommerce Optimization Strategies for 2025

The eCommerce landscape continues to evolve rapidly, driven by technological advancements, changing consumer behavior, and market trends. To stay competitive, businesses must adopt innovative strategies and tools. Here’s a comprehensive guide to effective eCommerce optimization in 2025:

1. Personalization at Scale

AI-Driven Personalization: Use AI and machine learning to analyze customer behavior and deliver tailored recommendations, dynamic pricing, and customized marketing messages.

Hyper-Targeted Campaigns: Leverage first-party data to create targeted email and ad campaigns based on user preferences and past purchases.

2. Mobile-First Design

Responsive Design: Ensure your site is fully optimized for mobile devices, offering seamless navigation, fast load times, and touch-friendly interfaces.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): Invest in PWAs to provide app-like experiences without requiring downloads.

3. Enhanced User Experience (UX)

Simplified Navigation: Use AI-powered chatbots and voice search to guide users effectively.

Frictionless Checkout: Implement one-click checkouts, multiple payment options, and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services to reduce cart abandonment.

4. AI and Automation

Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: Enhance customer service with AI-driven chatbots that offer instant support and resolve queries.

Automated Inventory Management: Use predictive analytics to manage stock levels, prevent overstocking, and minimize shortages.

5. Leveraging Data and Analytics

Real-Time Analytics: Implement tools like Google Analytics 4 and custom dashboards for tracking customer behavior and campaign performance.

Predictive Insights: Use predictive modeling to anticipate trends and optimize inventory, pricing, and marketing strategies.

6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Voice Search

SEO for Zero-Click Searches: Optimize for featured snippets and answer boxes to capture attention directly in search results.

Voice Search Optimization: Adapt content for conversational queries and integrate voice-enabled shopping features.

7. Sustainability and Ethical Practices

Eco-Friendly Practices: Showcase environmentally responsible practices like sustainable packaging and carbon-neutral shipping.

Transparent Supply Chains: Highlight ethical sourcing and fair trade certifications to appeal to conscious consumers.

8. Social Commerce Integration

Shoppable Content: Use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest to create content that directly links to product pages.

Influencer Collaborations: Partner with influencers who resonate with your target audience to drive traffic and sales.

9. Video and Interactive Content

Product Demonstrations: Use short, engaging videos to showcase product features and benefits.

Augmented Reality (AR): Allow customers to virtually try products like clothing, furniture, or makeup to enhance decision-making.

10. Cybersecurity and Privacy

Enhanced Security Measures: Invest in robust encryption, multi-factor authentication, and fraud detection systems.

Data Privacy Compliance: Stay updated with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and emerging privacy laws to build customer trust.

11. Localization and Global Expansion

Localized Experiences: Adapt content, payment options, and marketing strategies to regional preferences.

Cross-Border eCommerce: Leverage global marketplaces like Amazon and Alibaba to expand your reach.

12. Omnichannel Strategy

Seamless Integration: Connect online and offline experiences with features like in-store pickup and consistent branding across channels.

Unified Customer View: Use CRM tools to track interactions across all touchpoints for a holistic customer experience.

13. Subscription Models and Loyalty Programs

Subscription Services: Offer subscription-based models for recurring revenue and enhanced customer retention.

Gamified Loyalty Programs: Use points, rewards, and tiered memberships to incentivize repeat purchases.

14. AI-Optimized Pricing

Use AI tools to dynamically adjust prices based on market trends, competitor pricing, and customer demand in real-time.

15. Voice and Visual Search

Voice Search: Optimize for spoken queries by using natural language in product descriptions and FAQs.

Visual Search: Enable customers to upload images and find similar products in your store.

Key Tools and Technologies for 2025

eCommerce Platforms: Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce

Analytics Tools: Google Analytics 4, Hotjar, Mixpanel

Marketing Automation: Klaviyo, HubSpot, Mailchimp

AI Tools: ChatGPT, Jasper AI, Optimizely

Payment Solutions: Stripe, PayPal, Klarna

By staying proactive with these strategies, eCommerce businesses can adapt to the rapidly changing landscape and achieve sustained growth in 2025 and beyond. Would you like detailed guidance on any of these strategies?

#eCommerce Optimization Strategies for 2025 #eCommerce Optimization

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himanshi01 · 26 days ago

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Unlock Ad Network Profits Instantly!

Step into the world of digital advertising and start generating revenue like never before. Whether you're a publisher, advertiser, or entrepreneur, building your own ad network or leveraging advanced tools like an ad server, SSP, or DSP is the key to unlocking higher profits, greater control, and seamless scalability.

With our expert Ad Server Setup, Ad Network Creation, and SSP/DSP integration services, you can hit the ground running and start earning instantly!

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An ad network empowers you to connect advertisers with publishers while maximizing your earning potential. Here’s how it benefits you:

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Launch your own ad network to connect publishers and advertisers seamlessly:

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🔗 https://kiaantechnology.com

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mfilterit · 27 days ago

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Ad Fraud Prevention | Click Fraud Detection Software | Valid8

Valid8's Web Fraud is a cutting-edge SaaS solution designed to safeguard your digital advertising campaigns and websites from the detrimental effects of invalid traffic and fake clicks. With its real-time protection powered by advanced AI and machine learning technology, Valid8 automatically blocks invalid traffic on platforms like Google Ads and Meta Ads, ensuring that your ad budget is utilized effectively. Its sophisticated algorithms not only eliminate bot traffic but also defend against competitor tactics that might drain your budget or undermine your market position. The platform offers granular control over your campaigns through customizable protection settings and provides actionable insights via a user-friendly dashboard. This allows you to monitor ad performance, refine your targeting and bidding strategies, and optimize your ad creatives for better results. With Valid8, you gain comprehensive protection, verification, and optimization capabilities to enhance the effectiveness of your digital advertising investments.

To know more visit Valid8 | Ad Traffic Validation.

#Adfraudsolution #impressionvalidation #bottraffic #adfraud #AdFraudPrevention #frauddetection

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baitdragon · 27 days ago

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Google Warns Gmail Users: Stay Safe from Holiday Scams

As the holiday season approaches, scams are on the rise, and Google is warning Gmail users to be extra cautious. Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the festive spirit to launch new schemes designed to steal personal information and money. With an increase in online shopping and heightened holiday traffic, users are becoming prime targets for these deceptive attacks.

Common Holiday Scams Targeting Gmail Users

Google has identified several common scams that Gmail users should be on the lookout for during the holiday season. These scams often use tactics that appear legitimate but are meant to trick users into providing sensitive information, such as credit card details, passwords, or even full identities.

Fake Holiday Offers and Deals Scammers often create fake websites or emails claiming to offer incredible holiday discounts or deals. They may send out enticing offers, such as “50% off” or “Buy One Get One Free” promotions, urging users to click on links or provide payment details. These deals may look genuine, but they are designed to steal money or install malware on your device.

Phishing Emails Disguised as Holiday Greetings Phishing scams are one of the most common forms of online fraud. During the holiday season, scammers may send emails that appear to come from popular retailers or well-known brands, offering holiday greetings or exclusive deals. These emails often contain links that lead to fake websites designed to steal your personal information. Be cautious of unsolicited emails, especially those requesting sensitive details.

Gift Card Scams Another rising scam during the holiday season is the gift card scam, where fraudsters pose as friends, family, or even company representatives, asking you to purchase gift cards as a "favor" or for an urgent situation. Once you’ve purchased the cards, they are asked to be sent to the scammer, who can then quickly cash them in.

Fake Charity Donations The holiday season is also a time when many people are looking to give back. Scammers exploit this generosity by creating fake charities. They send out emails or social media ads urging people to donate to causes that sound noble but do not exist. These scams can easily trick well-meaning individuals into giving money that ends up in the hands of fraudsters.

How to Protect Yourself from Holiday Scams

Google has provided several tips to help Gmail users avoid falling victim to holiday scams:

Be Skeptical of Unsolicited Emails: If you receive an email offering a deal or promotion that seems too good to be true, verify the source before clicking on any links or providing any personal information.

Check the Email Address: Scammers often create fake email addresses that look similar to legitimate ones. Always double-check the sender's email address before engaging with the content.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Protect your Gmail account by enabling two-factor authentication (2FA). This adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for hackers to access your account even if they steal your password.

Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Ensure that your Gmail password is strong and unique. Avoid using easily guessable information like birthdates or common phrases.

Report Suspicious Emails: If you receive a suspicious email, report it immediately to Google. This helps protect others from falling victim to similar scams.

Stay Vigilant This Holiday Season

Google’s warning serves as a timely reminder that while the holiday season is a time for joy and celebration, it is also a prime opportunity for scammers to take advantage of unsuspecting users. By staying alert and cautious, you can protect yourself and your finances from these fraudulent schemes. Always trust your instincts, and remember, if something feels off, it probably is.

#GoogleAlert #HolidayScams #GmailSecurity #CyberFraud #OnlineSafety #PhishingScams

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firstpageranksdigital · 1 month ago

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Responsive Website Designing Development Services Near Chandigarh | Best Internet Marketing Company in India

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fromdevcom · 2 months ago

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Bot attacks are serious cybersecurity threats, with artificial intelligence (AI) amplifying both their complexity and impact across industries. According to one recent report, malicious bots constitute more than half of all internet traffic, disrupting businesses and jeopardizing digital infrastructure worldwide. As AI technology advances, so do the capabilities of malicious bot attacks, presenting novel and sophisticated challenges for companies aiming to protect their online assets. AI Expanding Capabilities Beyond Automation Traditionally, bots were powered by simplistic scripts performing repetitive tasks, often easily identifiable due to predictable behavior patterns. However, AI has transformed these bots, enabling them to mimic human actions in increasingly complex ways. Leveraging machine learning (ML) techniques like reinforcement learning, bots can adjust behaviors based on security system responses. For example, by varying click patterns, page interaction times, and scrolling behaviors, AI-enhanced bots can now evade detection by behavior-based security systems. In e-commerce, these capabilities allow bots to imitate human purchasing workflows to secure limited-edition products before real customers, as seen with high-demand sneaker releases from brands like Nike. Similarly, in CAPTCHA evasion, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are trained on large datasets of CAPTCHA images, enabling bots to analyze visual cues and replicate human interactions. This renders traditional CAPTCHA solutions, including Google’s reCAPTCHA v3, increasingly ineffective. Key Attack Vectors and Targeted Industries AI-enhanced bot attacks are versatile, targeting various industries and exploiting diverse vulnerabilities. Some examples of their tactics follow. Credential stuffing attacks, where bots attempt to access accounts using large volumes of stolen usernames and passwords, are among the most prevalent bot-driven cyber threats. In October 2023, personal genomics company 23andMe suffered a major breach due to credential stuffing. Attackers exploited compromised credentials to access user accounts that may share the same username and password combinations, exposing sensitive information, including genetic data, of approximately 6.9 million individuals. Bots circumvented typical security defenses by rotating IP addresses and using ML to predict password variations, underscoring the sophisticated nature of these threats. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are also prime targets for bot attacks, particularly through their application programming interfaces (APIs). Attackers use bots to create fake accounts and generate content that appears authentic, exploiting APIs to bypass moderation and distribute harmful content at scale. By mimicking human behaviors such as posting and interacting, these bots evade content moderation filters, posing a significant risk for platforms attempting to preserve the authenticity and safety of online communities. Bots also play a critical role in ad fraud by mimicking human clicks on ads, deceiving advertisers, and inflating costs while yielding little to no real engagement. Additionally, in e-commerce, automated bots exploit limited stock availability by rapidly purchasing high-demand items such as electronics and concert tickets, resulting in a negative user experience for genuine customers. In 2023 alone, fraud cost advertisers $81 billion dollars, with AI-powered bots significantly contributing to these losses. AI-Driven Bot Attack Strategies AI-powered bots employ a range of sophisticated tactics to bypass traditional defenses. Adversarial ML involves bots making subtle changes to evade detection by security systems. For instance, bots might vary their click timings, introduce slight pauses, or use randomized behaviors to avoid identification by ML models designed to flag suspicious activity. Adversarial ML techniques are a growing concern, as even minor alterations can degrade the accuracy of AI-based defenses.

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has identified AI model poisoning as a critical vector for bot-based attacks. In these scenarios, attackers introduce malicious data into training datasets, effectively poisoning the model’s learning process. By corrupting training data, bots can degrade the accuracy of AI systems, causing them to misclassify threats or even allow unauthorized actions. Many bots now use image recognition algorithms to analyze CAPTCHA challenges and identify patterns in human responses. By doing so, bots are able to solve CAPTCHA puzzles that were previously believed to be bot-proof, further demonstrating how AI empowers these attacks. CAPTCHA circumvention is especially problematic for industries that rely heavily on online interactions, as it erodes a critical line of defense against brute-force threats. Defense Strategies Given the surge in AI-powered bot sophistication, organizations must adopt robust defenses to counter these threats effectively. Here are some defensive strategies that have proven effective in mitigating bot attacks. Advanced bot mitigation solutions for API security and DDoS protection increasingly use ML to analyze real-time behavior, identify anomalies, and flag activity indicative of bot presence. By tracking patterns and understanding deviations from normal user behavior, these tools can recognize even the most human-like bots. For instance, some systems analyze typing speed and mouse movement fluidity—factors that are difficult for bots to replicate accurately. The Zero Trust model is particularly effective against bot attacks, as it requires continuous authentication and restricts access based on strict identity verification protocols. When integrated into a web application firewall (WAF) or a cloud-based content delivery network (CDN), this architecture helps prevent credential stuffing and API abuse by limiting access points within the network. Implementing Zero Trust policies reduces the likelihood of unauthorized access and limits the lateral movement of bots across the infrastructure. Threat intelligence sharing through networks like the Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA), enables companies to collaborate on identifying and neutralizing bot threats. Real-time intelligence sharing between organizations can significantly enhance detection by pooling resources to track bot behavior trends, IP addresses, and attack vectors. In one notable case, CTA members collaborated to disrupt a botnet targeting financial institutions by sharing critical data on bot patterns. Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) solutions, which adjust security protocols based on the risk level of each access attempt, are also effective against unauthorized bot access. Unlike traditional two-factor authentication, adaptive MFA takes into account user location, device type, and behavior, thus adding another layer of defense for high-risk accounts or transactions. Routine vulnerability assessments and regular security audits and vulnerability assessments are essential for identifying weak points that bots might exploit. By scanning for outdated software, weak APIs, and exploitable configurations, organizations can preemptively address vulnerabilities that might otherwise invite bot activity. Conclusion AI-driven bot attacks have redefined the landscape of cybersecurity, elevating the need for advanced, AI-powered defenses. From credential stuffing in consumer services to social media API abuse and ad fraud in e-commerce, these sophisticated bots now have the tools to evade traditional detection systems with ease. Techniques like adversarial machine learning, model poisoning, and CAPTCHA circumvention reveal the depth of innovation among attackers. To keep pace with these evolving threats, organizations must prioritize AI-enhanced security solutions, adopt Zero Trust policies, and engage in proactive cyber hygiene. As AI technology continues to evolve,

businesses that stay informed and adopt comprehensive defense measures will be best positioned to protect their assets and maintain trust in the face of increasingly advanced bot attacks.

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mostlysignssomeportents · 2 years ago

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Google makes millions on paid abortion disinformation

Google’s search quality has been in steady decline for years, and Google assures us that they’re working on it, though the most visible effort is replacing links to webpages with lengthy, florid paragraphs written by a confident habitual liar chatbot:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/16/tweedledumber/#easily-spooked

The internet is increasingly full of garbage, much of it written by other confident habitual liar chatbots, which are now extruding plausible sentences at enormous scale. Future confident habitual liar chatbots will be trained on the output of these confident liar chatbots, producing Jathan Sadowski’s “Habsburg AI”:

https://twitter.com/jathansadowski/status/1625245803211272194

But the declining quality of Google Search isn’t merely a function of chatbot overload. For many years, Google’s local business listings have been terrible. Anyone who’s tried to find a handyman, a locksmith, an emergency tow, or other small businessperson has discovered that Google is worse than useless for this. Try to search for that locksmith on the corner that you pass every day? You won’t find them — but you will find a fake locksmith service that will dispatch an unqualified, fumble-fingered guy with a drill and a knockoff lock, who will drill out your lock, replace it with one made of bubblegum and spit, and charge you 400% the going rate (and then maybe come back to rob you):

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/business/fake-online-locksmiths-may-be-out-to-pick-your-pocket-too.html

Google is clearly losing the fraud/spam wars, which is pretty awful, given that they have spent billions to put every other search engine out of business. They spend $45b every year to secure exclusivity deals that prevent people from discovering or using rivals — that’s like buying a whole Twitter every year, just so they don’t have to compete:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/how-a-google-antitrust-case-could/

But there’s an even worse form of fraudulent listing on Google, one they could do something about, but choose not to: ad-fraud. For all the money and energy thrown into “dark SEO” to trick Google into putting your shitty, scammy website at the top of the listings, there’s a much simpler method. All you need to do is pay Google — buy an ad, and your obviously fraudulent site will be right there, at the top of the search results.

There are so many top searches that go to fraud or malware sites. Tech support is a favorite. It’s not uncommon to search for tech support for Google products and be served a fake tech-support website where a scammer will try to trick you into installing a remote-access trojan and then steal everything you have, and/or take blackmail photos of you with your webcam:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/google-search-ads-infiltrated-again-by-tech-support-scams/

This is true even when Google has a trivial means of reliably detecting fraud. Take the restaurant monster-in-the-middle scam: a scammer clones the menu of a restaurant, marking up their prices by 15%, and then buys the top ad slot for searches for that restaurant. Search for the restaurant, click the top link, and land on a lookalike site. The scammer collects your order, bills your card, then places the same order, in your name, with the restaurant.

The thing is, Google runs these ads even for restaurants that are verified merchants — Google mails the restaurant a postcard with a unique number on it, and the restaurant owner keys that number in to verify that they are who they say they are. It would not be hard for Google to check whether an ad for a business matches one of its verified merchants, and, if so, whether the email address is a different one from the verified one on file. If so, Google could just email the verified address with a “Please confirm that you’re trying to buy an ad for a website other than the one we have on file” message:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

Google doesn’t do this. Instead, they accept — and make a fortune from — paid disinformation, across every category.

But not all categories of paid disinformation are equally bad: it’s one thing to pay a 15% surcharge on a takeout meal, but there’s a whole universe of paid medical disinformation that Google knows about and has an official policy of tolerating.

This paid medical disinformation comes from “crisis pregnancy centers”: these are fake abortion clinics that raise huge sums from religious fanatics to buy ads that show up for people seeking information about procuring an abortion. If they are duped by one of these ads, they are directed to a Big Con-style storefront staffed by people who pretend that they perform abortions, but who bombard their marks with falsehoods about health complications.

These con artists try to trick their marks into consenting to sexual assault — a transvaginal ultrasound. This is a prelude to another fraud, in which the “sporadic electrical impulses” generated by an early fetal structure is a “heartbeat” (early fetuses do not have hearts, so they cannot produce heartbeats):

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/heartbeat-bills-called-fetal-heartbeat-six-weeks-pregnancy-rcna24435

If the victim still insists on getting an abortion, the fraudsters will use deceptive tactics to draw out the process until they run out the clock for a legal abortion, procuring a forced birth through deceit.

It is hard to imagine a less ethical course of conduct. Google’s policy of accepting “crisis pregnancy center” ads is the moral equivalent of taking money from fake oncologists who counsel people with cancer to forego chemotherapy in favor of juice-cleanses.

There is no ambiguity here: the purpose of a “crisis prengancy center” is to deceive people seeking abortions into thinking they are dealing with an abortion clinic, and then further deceive them into foregoing the abortion, by means of lies, sexually invasive and unnecessary medical procedures, and delaying tactics.

Now, a new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate finds that Google made $10m last year on ads from “crisis pregnancy centers”:

https://www.wired.com/story/google-made-millions-from-ads-for-fake-abortion-clinics/

Many of these “crisis pregnancy centers” are also registered 501(c)3 charities, which makes them eligible for Google’s ad grants, which provide free ads to nonprofits. Marketers who cater to “crisis pregnancy center” advertise that they can help their clients qualify for these grants. In 2019, Google was caught giving tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of free ads to “crisis pregnancy centers”:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/may/12/google-advertising-abortion-obria

The keywords that “crisis pregnancy centers” bid up include “Planned Parenthood” — meaning that if actual Planned Parenthood clinics want to appear at the top of the search for “planned parenthood,” they have to outbid the fraudsters seeking to deceive Planned Parenthood patients.

Google has an official policy of requiring customers that pay for ads matching abortion-related search terms to label their ads to state whether or not they provide abortions, but the report documents failures to enforce this policy. The labels themselves are confusing: for example, abortion travel funds have to be labeled as “not providing abortions.”

Google isn’t afraid to ban whole categories of advertising: for example, Google has banned Plan C, a nonprofit that provides information about medication abortions. The company erroneously classes Plan C as an “unauthorized pharmacy.” But Google continues to offer paid disinformation on behalf of forced birth groups that claim there is such a thing as “abortion reversal” (there isn’t — but the “abortion reversal” drug cocktail is potentially lethal).

This is inexcusable, but it’s not unique — and it’s not even that profitable. $10m is a drop in the bucket for a company like Google. When you’re lighting $45b/year on fire just to prevent competition, $10m is chump change. A better way to understand Google’s relationship to paid disinformation can be found by studying Facebook’s own paid disinformation problem.

Facebook has a well-documented problem with paid political disinformation — unambiguous, illegal materials, like paid notices advising people to remember to vote on November 6th (when election day falls on November 5th). The company eventually promised to put political ads in a repository where they could be inspected by all parties to track its progress in blocking paid disinformation.

Facebook did a terrible job at this, with huge slices of its political ads never landing in its transparency portal. We know this because independent researchers at NYU’s engineering school built an independent, crowdsourced tracker called Ad Observer, which scraped all the ads volunteers saw and uploaded them to a portal called Ad Observatory.

Facebook viciously attacked the NYU project, falsely smearing it as a privacy risk (the plugin was open source and was independently audited by Mozilla researchers, who confirmed that it didn’t collect any personal information). When that didn’t work, they sent a stream of legal threats, claiming that NYU was trafficking in a “circumvention device” as defined by Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a felony carrying a five-year prison sentence and a $500k fine — for a first offense.

Eventually, NYU folded the project. Facebook, meanwhile, has fired or reassigned most of the staff who work on political ad transparency:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/06/get-you-coming-and-going/#potemkin-research-program

What are we to make of this? Facebook claims that it doesn’t need or want political ad revenue, which are a drop in the bucket and cause all kinds of headaches. That’s likely true — but Facebook’s aversion to blocking political ads doesn’t extend to spending a lot of money to keep paid political disinfo off the platform.

The company could turn up the sensitivity on its blocking algorithm, which would generate more false positives, in which nonpolitical ads are misidentified and have to be reviewed by humans. This is expensive, and it’s an expense Facebook can avoid if it can suppress information about its failures to block paid political disinformation. It’s cheaper to silence critics than it is to address their criticism.

I don’t think Google gives a shit about the $10m it gets from predatory fake abortion clinics. But I think the company believes that the PR trouble it would get into for blocking them — and the expense it would incur in trying to catch and block fake abortion clinic ads — are real liabilities. In other words, it’s not about the $10m it would lose by blocking the ads — Google wants to avoid the political heat it would take from forced birth fanatics and cost of the human reviewers who would have to double-check rejected ads.

In other words, Google doesn’t abet fraudulent abortion clinics because they share the depraved sadism of the people who run these clinics. Rather, Google teams up with these sadists out of cowardice and greed.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/15/paid-medical-disinformation/#crisis-pregnancy-centers

[Image ID: A ruined streetscene. Atop a pile of rubble sits a dilapidated shack. In front of the shack is a letterboard with the word ABORTIONS set off-center and crooked. In the foreground is a carny barker at a podium, gesturing at the sign and the shack. The barker's head and face have been replaced with the Google logo. Within the barker's podium is a heap of US$100 bills.]

Image: Flying Logos (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Over_$1,000,000_dollars_in_USD_$100_bill_stacks.png

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #abortion clinics #forced birth #disinformation #medical disinformation #paid disinformation #google #google ads #ad-tech #seo #kiin thai #locksmiths #abortion #dobbs crisis pregnancy centers #roe v wade

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