Amazon Ads to change URL transparency and reporting after high-profile CSAM report from Adalytics

Updates to Amazon’s DSP include new page-level reporting through its Traffic Events API. The goal is to further strengthen its brand safety controls using internal systems and third-party integrations, according to parties familiar with the updates.

An Amazon Ads spokesperson confirmed the changes to Digiday, noting the company already provides site-level (domain-level) transparency through its Inventory Report available through its DSP and through Amazon Marketing Cloud.

The updates come as advertisers and agencies have pressured ad tech companies to improve ad transparency after the recent Adalytics report found ads running on problematic websites including CSAM and other content.

“We regret that this occurred and took swift action to block these websites from showing our ads,” an Amazon Ads spokesperson told Digiday in a statement. “We have strict policies in place against serving ads on content of this nature, and we are taking additional steps to help ensure this does not happen in the future. This affected a tiny portion of advertising spend for a small number of advertisers, and we have refunded all advertisers whose ads appeared on these websites.”

When asked for details about the refunds, Amazon wasn’t able to comment on the total dollars refunded or total advertisers whose ads ran on websites in question.

Amazon, DoubleVerify, Google and IAS all received letters from U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) berating them for allowing ads to run on problematic websites. Additionally, the CEOs of Media Ratings Council and Trustworthy Accountability Group also received similar letters from Blackburn and Blumenthal. All six letters from lawmakers addressed URL-level reporting and asked questions about companies’ plans for more transparency.

Google didn’t immediately respond to comment when asks about any updates it’s making to URL-level reporting. However, DoubleVerify also is working on changes to URL-level reporting. In a statement sent to Digiday, a DoubleVerify spokesperson said it has “always offered URL-level reporting to our customers on demand.”

“In a move to support greater industry transparency, we’re expanding this capability over the coming weeks to include self-service reporting for clients, providing even broader access and powering innovative new ways to maximize the value of DV data,” according to the statement. “We continue to evolve all of our solutions to provide granular, actionable insights for our customers.”

Buyers say ‘wait-and-see’

While advertisers and watchdog groups have long called for page-level URL reporting, the latest Adalytics report has created new scrutiny for the top DSPs, measurement firms, and accreditation providers. While DSPs and measurement firms have been under fire, media buyers also note that it’s up to the supply side to offer full-path URL reporting.

A spokesperson for IAS said it already offers URL-level reporting by default for customers using its Brand Suitability tech across content labeled by IAS as unsafe or unsuitable for measurement on the open web.

“The definition of brand suitability is defined by each customer,” the IAS spokesperson said. “Full URL reporting has been available since 2021, and we are continuing to drive adoption to support our customers with this level of transparency.”

Some media buyers say it’s too soon to tell if changes by Amazon or others will have an impact. For example, one source, who requested anonymity given their employer’s PR policies, noted site-level reporting through AMC isn’t helpful if it doesn’t resolve and isn’t entirely human-readable.

Meanwhile, an in-house media buyer for a major advertiser told Digiday they’d “like to see this in practice before celebrating.” However, a separate in-house media buyer, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said site-level is “useless” and that neither IAS or DoubleVerify give full URL resolution.