A recent report by Adalytics has raised allegations against Google, suggesting that the tech giant may have misled advertisers regarding its TrueView in-stream ads.
Through Google’s TrueView platform viewership of ads allegedly ran on third-party websites and apps. And the advertisers including Fortune 500 brands and the US government may have been overcharged billions of digital ad dollars.
What is TrueView?
TrueView is Google’s proprietary ad format known for its cost-per-view, choice-based model. It serves ads on YouTube, millions of apps, and across the web.
Unlike traditional advertising, TrueView charges advertisers only for actual views of their ads rather than impressions.
After five seconds, users are prompted with the option to skip the video ad. Google’s guidelines state that TrueView ads must be skippable, and audible. They also should not be solely initiated by passive user scrolling.
Adalytics Allegations
The Adalytics report indicates a long-standing misalignment between Google’s TrueView ads and the actual placement of these ads on third-party websites and apps. According to the findings, advertisers paying for TrueView ads running outside of YouTube might not be receiving the expected value for their investments.
