Meanwhile, MRC head George Ivie took the opportunity to explain that both DoubleVerify and IAS hold MRC accreditation for “Property Level Ad Verification,” which examines text and keywords rather than visual content. This distinction is significant, he said, as the CSAM-hosting site in question typically contains minimal text, making the content undetectable through current accredited methods.
Moving forward, Ivie wrote, “MRC encourages services to submit Content Level Brand Safety products for audit and accreditation.” He also said MRC will consider strengthening disclosure requirements about the limitations of current verification technologies.
In a 23-page response to senators signed by vice president of policy and compliance Todd Miller, TAG claimed to be “the leading global initiative fighting criminal activity and increasing trust in the digital advertising industry.”
The company pushed back against Blackburn’s and Blumenthal’s broad labeling of platforms as “CSAM sites” merely for receiving NCMEC notifications, adding that operating on this standard would have negative implications for user-generated content platforms like Amazon, Facebook, Pinterest, X, and others.
But TAG president and CEO Mike Zaneis told ADWEEK that, since submitting its letter to lawmakers, the organization has begun working with NCMEC to set up an educational sit that will help the ad industry learn more about the details of NCMEC’s programs. NCMEC will also help train TAG’s Threat Exchange participants, which include major industry players. “We are excited to be developing these solutions to provide greater protections for children worldwide,” Zaneis said.
In the fallout since the initial report was published, the MRC and TAG have come under fire from ad industry leaders who view their approaches as insufficiently stringent.
The six letters from industry players have not been published publicly.
DoubleVerify, IAS, and MRC did not respond to requests for comment.
Update Feb. 28, 6:16 pm ET: A screenshot of Amazon’s letter to Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal has been added to this story. Additionally, a statement from TAG president and CEO Mike Zaneis has been integrated.