DoubleVerify’s Fraud Lab has uncovered a network of more than 200 websites mimicking legitimate websites, wasting ad spend and misleading users.
These sites consist of mostly AI-generated, ad-supported “AI slop” sites and are monetised through a variety of sell-side platforms (SSP) and exchanges.
The sites are part of the ‘Synthetic Echo’ network and operate with minimal human oversight. They also use deceptive URLs such as espn24.co.uk, nbcsportz.com, and nbcsport.co.uk that are designed to mislead ad tech vendors and buyers by mimicking reputable publishers.
“While the domains may initially seem credible, their focus is on churning out low-quality, AI-generated content to drive ad revenue,” said DoubleVerify.
“Leading brands, both B2B and B2C, were found running ads on these sites, likely unaware of the questionable inventory.”
DoubleVerify also said that the sites often use “sport” or “sports” in their URLs, capitalising on a media buyer perception that sports are more brand safe than traditional breaking news.
“It also underscores the need for more discerning evaluation and a reconsideration of the value of news,” said DoubleVerify.
It also explained that while some advertisers use exclusion lists to block low-quality sites, generative AI has allowed for even faster creation of low-quality, made for advertising sites.
“For example, DV recently reviewed a popular blocklist from a leading demand-side platform (DSP) and found no reference to over 90 percent of the GenAI sites that DV tracks today, including no blocking of the sites featured in this report,” DoubleVerify said.
It added that its GenAI Avoidance tech uses machine learning to detect patterns indicative of AI-generated content, including repetitive cookie-cutter formats, chatbot-generated text within articles, placeholder content and other markers, allowing advertisers to pre-emptively exclude these sites from their campaigns.
