Advertisers push Big Tech to adopt standards for transparency in ad sales

use and how, according to Hovaness.

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Meta and Amazon are the second- and third-largest players in digital advertising.

(AFP)

Italso opensthe doorfor the platforms to manipulate the auctions, Hovaness said, for example by entering theirown bids and driving up prices in the process. Or an auctioneer may lowerits bidminimum in response to competitors, potentially undermining prices without the knowledge of the publishers providing the inventory.

Hovaness estimated that the impact on both buyers’ costs and sellers’ revenue over the yearsadds up to billionsofdolllars.

The standards wouldn't require auctionsto run in any particular way, and participation would be voluntary, though parties that agree to audits would be eligible fora new MRC accreditation.

The proposal doesn’t mention any companies by name, butit comesasregulators have taken unprecedented interest in digital ad auctions.