Escalated.io Tapped by TAG to Strengthen Ad Fraud Detection Network
In the ongoing war against digital ad fraud, Escalated.io has joined the ranks of elite watchdogs. The ad fraud detection company has been named a Qualified Data Contributor (QDC) to the Trustworthy Accountability Group’s (TAG) Data Center IP (DCIP) list—a critical tool in the ad tech industry’s battle against invalid traffic (IVT).
This move marks a notable milestone not just for Escalated.io, but for the broader fight to maintain integrity in digital advertising. The DCIP list, managed and released monthly by TAG, contains IP addresses flagged for high-risk activity tied to invalid or fraudulent traffic. Escalated.io will now play a direct role in curating that list, supplying real-time intelligence to help clean up the advertising supply chain.
Why It Matters
Fraudulent traffic remains a serious—and expensive—problem. From bots hijacking ad impressions to spoofed devices draining campaign budgets, invalid traffic undermines ad performance, skews analytics, and erodes trust in digital media.
TAG’s DCIP list acts as a shared, industry-wide filtration system. With Escalated.io now feeding into that list, brands, agencies, and publishers gain access to even more refined data on suspicious IPs. That, in turn, improves pre-bid filters, post-campaign reporting, and fraud prevention strategies across the board.
“We’re excited to be contributing and giving back to the community in this manner and also doing our part to help ensure the accuracy of the data,” said Kyle Smith, CEO of Escalated.io.
Escalated.io’s Role
As a QDC, Escalated.io will contribute vetted IP address intelligence gathered from its fraud detection infrastructure. This includes insights into emerging fraud patterns across desktop, mobile, and CTV environments—areas where Escalated.io has carved out a niche for identifying anomalies.
The partnership is not just symbolic; it carries functional weight. DCIP data gets used by:
- Ad tech platforms to screen out known bad actors in real-time
- Media buyers to ensure clean inventory
- Publishers to protect reputation and maintain advertiser trust
“The effectiveness of shared tools like the DCIP list depends on the support of companies like Escalated.io in sharing vital ad fraud intelligence,” said Lisa Gansky, Director of Product Management at TAG. “Their participation highlights real leadership and a proactive stance in defending digital advertising from fraud.”
The Industry Context
Ad fraud isn’t going away—but the defenses are getting smarter. Escalated.io’s involvement with TAG reflects a broader industry shift: from reactive fraud clean-up to proactive fraud prevention powered by collaboration and shared data.
This is especially critical as ad budgets migrate toward programmatic channels and connected devices, where fraudsters thrive in the shadows of automation. The DCIP list, fueled by contributors like Escalated.io, serves as a key weapon in exposing and blocking these threats before they do damage.
Final Thoughts
Escalated.io’s designation as a QDC isn’t just a credibility badge—it’s a signal that the company is moving from passive detection to active defense. And in a space where trust is currency, that move matters.
By joining TAG’s DCIP program, Escalated.io deepens its commitment to safeguarding the ad tech ecosystem—one suspicious IP at a time.
