Partnering with Roku to Prevent Ad Spoofing on Streaming Devices

For years, DoubleVerify (DV) has been helping advertisers protect their streaming and CTV campaigns from media quality violations of all kinds, including ad spoofing. From pre-bid avoidance to post-bid blocking and DV Video Filtering, DV has a host of solutions to help advertisers reduce media waste and maximize the impact from their campaigns.

Challenges impacting campaign quality can come in multiple forms. Certain apps can create fake automated ad calls from non-existent devices, play non-stop ads, or spoof the app’s name to appear as if the impressions are from higher-quality inventory. Fake traffic can be generated at large scale by nefarious servers mimicking Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) technology. And finally, spoofing ad impressions happens when low-quality inventory is made to seem like more premium inventory on premium platforms, devices and apps.

The good news is that the industry is constantly innovating to develop new technology that will allow advertisers to authenticate their campaigns. One such innovation is Roku’s Advertising Watermark, which was recently launched. Roku’s Advertising Watermark is designed to help the industry deter bad actors and improve ad effectiveness. While spoofing from Roku devices is rare, most spoofing occurs from outside the Roku device through server or mobile devices that can generate fake Roku traffic. DV is excited to explore the Watermark as an additional signal to ensure we can identify the spoofed impressions.

Roku, a leading streaming platform with 61.3 million active accounts as of Q1 2022, is one of the platforms that is on the cutting edge of innovation when it comes to media quality on TV streaming. For seven years, DV has been partnering with Roku to ensure that clients are getting the highest quality inventory by being a preferred IVT partner in the OneView Ad Platform, Roku’s ad platform built for TV streaming. DV is also part of Roku’s measurement partner program. And today, we are happy to announce that we are further expanding our partnership. To further protect advertisers, Roku recently announced Roku’s Advertising Watermark, free technology to help advertisers and publishers validate the authenticity of video ads originating on the Roku platform. DV is one of the first partners to explore the potential benefit for clients.

We sat down with Adam Markey, Director of Product Management at Roku, to talk more about our partnership around Roku’s Advertising Watermark and its potential for advertisers to further validate their campaigns.

Who is Roku?

Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. Our mission is to be the TV streaming platform that connects the entire TV ecosystem. Today, Roku streaming devices are used by millions of consumers around the world. We connect users to the streaming content they love, and we enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku is uniquely positioned to help advertisers reach and connect with their target audiences.

What is Roku’s Advertising Watermark?

Roku’s Advertising Watermark is free technology to help advertisers and publishers validate the authenticity of video ads originating on the Roku platform. As the industry’s first authentication solution built for TV streaming, Roku’s Advertising Watermark gives marketers the confidence that their advertising spend is reaching real Roku users.

Today, device spoofing occurs when scammers pretend that a desktop or mobile device is a TV streaming device. Roku’s Advertising Watermark integrates with the Roku operating system to automatically verify publisher ad requests and impressions so that advertisers know they are reaching genuine Roku users. This technology will help the industry deter bad actors and improve ad effectiveness.

How will Roku’s Advertising Watermark impact the industry? Who do you hope will embrace it?

Roku’s Advertising Watermark allows advertisers to accelerate their shift to TV streaming with even more confidence. We are thrilled to see DoubleVerify, a long-standing partner of Roku, become one of the first partners to adopt the Watermark, along with a strong response across our industry including top streaming publishers.

How did Roku’s Advertising Watermark come about? How was it created?

Roku’s Advertising Watermark is a direct response to device spoofing schemes. At Roku, we see very little spoofing on Roku devices, however, Roku is an open platform that works with the industry to combat device spoofing that may undermine advertiser trust in TV streaming.

How are you working with DoubleVerify in regards to Roku’s Advertising Watermark?

Roku is working with DoubleVerify to validate the Watermark on Roku impressions to ensure they originated from genuine Roku devices, thereby protecting our mutual marketers and publishers from device spoofing.

What is the future of Roku’s Advertising Watermark?

We’re excited about wider adoption of Roku’s Advertising Watermark across Roku publishers and leading ad tech companies this year. Ultimately, the Watermark will set an industry benchmark for reducing device spoofing and make TV streaming better for everyone. To keep up to date on the latest developments regarding Roku’s Watermark, you can visit Roku’s newsroom.

If you’d like to learn more about DV, contact us.