Brand safety has, and always will be, a moving target. The industry struggles between steps forward and back given a growing arsenal of tools designed to protect advertisers and publishers, while persistent challenges arise, making brand safety an ever-evolving goal. The industry faces a constant push and pull between innovation and limitations. From the rise of Made-for-Advertising (MFA) sites to COPPA concerns, and the unintended negative consequences of overzealous keyword blocklists, constant refinement is the order of the day. First up, recent reports have highlighted glaring weaknesses in ad tech’s ability to siphon out monetization of kid-focused harmful content. A recent bombshell investigation into the presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on ad-supported platforms has intensified calls from the US Government for greater transparency from demand-side platforms (DSPs).
The media supply chain should be able – through fierce cooperation and high standards, to effectively root out this content... if only to protect future revenue streams! The debate is no longer just about identifying harmful content—it’s about the misalignment of incentives that prioritize efficiency over effectiveness, and immediacy over monitored verifiably acceptable content. As IAB CEO David Cohen pointed out, “the conversation needs to shift from a blame game to a concerted effort to cut off financial resources to bad actors while improving accountability across the industry.”
The brand safety landscape is one of constant adaptation. While tools like the MFA Transparency Utility represent progress, the industry must also address systemic challenges that should be addressed with transparency and cooperation. The Brand Safety Institute (BSI) recently launched the MFA Transparency Utility in partnership with Ad Fontes Media, DeepSee, Jounce Media, and Pixalate. This tool is a significant step toward empowering legitimate publishers by providing transparency into how their domains are evaluated by the ad-buying industry. The initiative comes as a response to the increasing scrutiny of MFA sites—websites designed primarily to generate ad revenue rather than provide quality content. While advertisers have been pushing back against MFA placements, the lack of a clear definition has led to confusion and the unintended penalization of legitimate publishers. The MFA Transparency Utility serves as a crucial resource to bring clarity and fairness to the discussion – and reward good publishers for authentic content.
Even well-intentioned brand safety strategies can backfire, as evidenced by the Oscars content debacle. According to Integral Ad Science data featured in a recent eMarketer article, advertisers inadvertently blocked 56% of Oscars-related content due to rigid keyword blocklists, missing key opportunities to align with culturally relevant moments. The industry has really struggled with over-generalized blocklists that flag terms like “violence” and “drugs”, without context, leading to the exclusion of content that is brand-safe but easily fall into a “no-go” bucket by automated systems. In the real world, Oscar nominated films carry the badge of the highest standards of filmmaking - films tackle complex, important, but meaningful narratives—such as "Nickel Boys" and "Emilia Pérez"— both of which became collateral damage in the effort to protect brands from negative associations. This highlights the need for more nuanced, context-aware brand safety tools and measures that go beyond blanket exclusions.
The struggle in brand safety continues for our daily practitioners - whether that means rethinking how DSPs operate/cooperate, refining keyword-based protections/context, or aligning incentives to prioritize effectiveness over efficiency. In the end, brand safety is not just about avoiding risk; it's about ensuring that advertisers, publishers, and audiences can coexist in a digital ecosystem built on trust and accountability.
Want more industry news and informative content related to brand safety? Check out our other posts on the Brand Safety Institute Blog.