Home The Big Story The Big Story: Methbot Ad Fraudster Goes To Prison
PODCAST: The Big Story

The Big Story: Methbot Ad Fraudster Goes To Prison

By

SHARE:
The Big Story podcast

The architect of Methbot was found guilty in a New York court last week. The verdict came nearly five years after the ad fraud scheme was first publicized back in December 2016.

We dive into the most intriguing details of the case – from the likely political motivations behind the prosecution to the sophistication of the fraud scheme itself. It’s all on this week’s episode of The Big Story.

Also on the agenda, Tapad is exiting the European market, a scoop broken by AdExchanger.

When we contacted Tapad (owned by Experian), the company said that GDPR wasn’t the reason but, the fact remains, that most other cross-device identification companies have already packed their bags and sailed away.

Seems like there’s a trend of GDPR-related company migrations from the EU of companies that either can’t or don’t want to pivot their business to meet GDPR’s consent requirements. Will we see more? Listen in for our take on this legal-themed edition of The Big Story.

Must Read

antitrust

DOJ v. Google: During Opening Arguments, The DOJ And Google Battle Over An AdX Divestiture

Court is back in session. And the fate of  the open internet is in the balance.

Chris Mufarrige, director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC
Data Privacy Roundup

FTC Consumer Protection Chief: No Easy Answers On Privacy, ‘Only Trade-Offs’

Privacy isn’t black-and-white, says the FTC’s Chris Mufarrige, promising evidence-driven consumer protection cases under the Trump administration.

Publishers

How Encryption Keys Could Resolve The TID Furor

Rather than sharing universal TIDs that any DSP or curator can access, Raptive says publishers should instead share encrypted TIDs with an encryption key provided only to trusted demand-side partners.

Privacy! Commerce! Connected TV! Read all about it. Subscribe to AdExchanger Newsletters
Digital Out-Of-Home

Clear Channel Brings Mid-Flight Measurement To Its OOH Network

Clear Channel will provide advertisers weekly, mid-flight reports on outcomes driven by its inventory in order to bring OOH measurement closer to the speed of digital.

FTC Commissioner Mark Meador speaking at the NAD's annual conference in Washington, DC on Sept. 16, 2025. (Photo: Brian O'Doherty)
Federal Trade Commission

FTC Commissioner Mark Meador: ‘No Human Society Can Long Survive Without Consumer Trust’

Keeping American kids safe in what FTC Commissioner Mark Meador calls “an increasingly complex and fast-paced technological environment” is a top priority for the agency.

Comic: "Deal ID, please."
Commerce

Amazon Expands Its Programmatic Integration With SiriusXM

On Tuesday, Amazon DSP announced an expanded integration with satellite radio company SiriusXM.

Popular

  1. Monopoly Man looks on at the DOJ vs. Google ad tech antitrust trial (comic).
    Online Advertising

    DOJ v. Google: Judge Brinkema Calls For Less Ad Tech “Window Dressing” In The AdX And DFP Divestiture Debate

    Day Two of the remedies phase of the Google ad tech antitrust trial was a grueling back-and-forth about the future of Google Ad Manager.

  2. antitrust

    DOJ v. Google: During Opening Arguments, The DOJ And Google Battle Over An AdX Divestiture

    Court is back in session. And the fate of  the open internet is in the balance.

  3. feedback loop
    attribution

    The Trade Desk and Acxiom Deepen Their UID2 Collaboration With An AI-Powered Measurement Solution

    The Trade Desk and Acxiom have a new product that plugs into Kokai to create a live feedback loop between UID2 IDs and real-world outcomes.

  4. Alex Sherman, CEO & Co-Founder, Bluefish
    PODCAST: AdExchanger Talks

    Marketing In The Age Of AI Answers

    The fundamental shift from traditional search to AI chatbots has major implications for the entire marketing organization, says Bluefish CEO Alex Sherman. If brands want control over how they appear in AI search results, they must think about the content they feed to large language models.

  5. Scott Young, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, Transmit
    OPINION: Data-Driven Thinking

    SSPs Are Facing Extinction – And Only Bold Differentiation Can Save Them

    SSPs are staring at their own demise. And it’s because, for over a decade, SSPs have positioned themselves as agnostic platforms.