Fraud & Threat Model
Ad fraud drains over $80B annually, eroding trust across advertising.
Traditional platforms let fraud happen, then try to detect it. AdPriva prevents it at the root by requiring every interaction to be backed by cryptographic proofs.
Threats in Traditional Platforms
- Bot Traffic & Click Farms → fake impressions and clicks inflate spend.
- Cookie Stuffing → affiliates steal commissions by injecting cookies without consent.
- Pixel Spoofing / Ad Stacking → invisible or stacked ads trigger false impressions.
- Replay Attacks → clicks or impressions are replayed multiple times.
- Programmatic Bid Spoofing → fake bid responses injected into exchanges and pipelines.
- Reporting Manipulation → black-box metrics allow inflated or altered reports.
AdPriva’s Defense Layers
Proof-Based Verification → every view, click or conversion must generate a cryptographic proof (with nonce, timestamp, expiry).
Human Activity Validation →
→ ViewProofs: viewport %, dwell time, tab focus.
→ ClickProofs: entropy + velocity checks to block bots.
Bounded-Use Proofs → ads shown only in user-approved categories → blocks forced or fraudulent targeting.
No-Fill Receipts → signed receipts for unfilled slots → no “ghost impressions.”
Snapshots & Anchoring → daily Merkle-root snapshots sealed, periodically anchored on-chain.
Programmatic & Affiliate Protections → conversions via S2S postbacks (HMAC) + OpenRTB 2.6 proof hooks prevent spoofing.
Fraud Prevention in Action
Bot Farm Attack → bots generate fake clicks.
AdPriva: no valid ClickProofs → excluded before billing.Cookie Stuffing → affiliate injects unauthorized cookies.
AdPriva: no valid Consent Receipt → no proof, no payout.
Programmatic Bid Spoofing → fake bid responses injected.
AdPriva: proof mismatch in Explorer → invalid at settlement.
Fraud Threat Matrix
| Threat | Traditional Platforms | AdPriva Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Bot Traffic / Click Farms | Billions wasted on fake traffic | ClickProofs + human validation (entropy, dwell, velocity) |
| Cookie Stuffing | Affiliates steal commissions | Consent Receipts required → no consent = no payout |
| Pixel Spoofing / Ad Stacking | Hidden/invisible ads billed | ViewProofs confirm visibility (viewport %, dwell) |
| Replay Attacks | Same click reused | Nonce + expiry → replays blocked |
| Programmatic Bid Spoofing | Fake bid responses injected into the exchange or pipeline are accepted as valid | OpenRTB proof extensions + HMAC-secured postbacks + Explorer mismatch detection ensure only cryptographically validated bids are settled |
| Reporting Manipulation | Black-box, unverifiable logs | Tamper-evident snapshots + on-chain anchoring |
Why This Matters
- Advertisers → pay only for verified human engagement.
- Publishers → earn more with trusted, fraud-free inventory.
- Users → protected only their consent drives engagements.
- Regulators → get audit-ready cryptographic evidence.
With AdPriva, fraud isn’t just detected it’s cryptographically excluded before money changes hands.
{% @mermaid/diagram content="flowchart
A\[Ad Event: View, Click, Conversion]
B\[Proof Engine: Cryptographic Proofs]
C\[Human Validation: Dwell, Focus, Velocity]
D\[Bounded-Use Proofs: Consent Categories]
E\[No-Fill Receipts: Transparency]
F\[Snapshots & Anchoring: Merkle Root + On-chain]
G\[AdPriva Explorer: Public Audit]
H\[Settlement: Stablecoin Payouts]
A --> B
B --> C
C --> D
D --> E
E --> F
F --> G
G --> H" %}