The second wave of the IAB/PwC Invalid Traffic Benchmarks (IVT) released today reveals a decline in invalid traffic compared to 2016.

The 2017 wave shows that more than 97 per cent of desktop inventory was classed as valid human traffic (compared to 96 per cent in 2016), as was 98 per cent of mobile (also compared to 96 per cent in 2016).

Video inventory was monitored for the first time in the second wave and stands at more than 98 per cent. Further, the amount of inventory being monitored by the three vendors significantly increased during the second wave, indicating additional reduction in invalid traffic.

The IVT benchmark provides market-level aggregate data collected by PwC from third-party measurement vendors Comscore, Integral Ad Science (IAS) and Moat. The first wave took place between July and September 2016, with the second wave recording the period between October 2016 and March 2017.

The three third-party vendor companies monitored for the benchmark have been accredited by the Media Ratings Council (MRC) based on their Invalid Traffic Detection and Filtration Guidelines.

All three have been accredited for General Invalid Traffic (GIVT), with IAS and Comscore also accredited for Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). Moat’s SIVT accreditation is currently pending.

Vijay Solanki, CEO of IAB Australia, said: “The IAB strongly urges advertisers and agencies to use accredited third-party IVT measurement services to monitor and optimise inventory quality.

“We also echo the words of both global and local CMOs and encourage all marketers to genuinely understand IVT and ad fraud for their brand and their market. Don’t listen to vague conjecture but get into the details and the data.

“The IAB produces these benchmarks to reinforce the importance of third-party verification and to highlight the ongoing job and challenges of identifying new methods of fraudulent activity and invalid traffic.

“It is critical for the industry to continuously address this issue in order to build trust and accountability across the digital advertising landscape.”

In addition to advising the use of accredited third-party IVT measurement services, IAB Australia also recommends publishers, agencies and vendors ensure they are up to date with the latest global recommendations and IAB resources to maintain best practice.