Google ad controversy: what the row is all about
by Mark Sweney and Alex Hern from Technology | The Guardian on (#2G641)
What is programmatic advertising, how does it work and why did big brands appear next to inappropriate material? We explain
Why is advertising by big brands appearing alongside inappropriate content such as extremist videos?
As odd as it may sound, in the digital age many brands do not know exactly where their online advertising is running. The computerisation of digital advertising, where machines are largely responsible for choosing where ads run, has taken over much of the job of deciding where they should appear on the internet. This process is called programmatic advertising.