IAB Sweden’s boots out Meta, IAB Australia says it ‘operates independently’
Ex-Sunrise anchor David Koch is a regular subject of scam ads
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Australia says it “operates independently” after IAB Sweden expelled Meta as a member over scam ads.
Last week, Meta was formally removed from IAB Sweden following a board vote. The board said that the tech giant’s unwillingness to remove “deceptive ads” from its platform was the impetus for its decision.
“IAB Sweden will continue to push for improvements to the advertising environment and continue to work for good marketing practices,” IAB Sweden chairman Daniel Weilar said.
“However, Meta will now have to present evidence in order to be able to re-enter as a member.”
Meta will be able to appeal the ruling at IAB Sweden’s annual general meeting on April 15.
A Reuters investigation in December showed how Meta’s official partner agencies and AI tools were able to be used to buy, create, and place illegal advertising onto Facebook and Instagram.
Reuters said that Meta’s own projections show that 10% of its annual global revenue last year, which amounts to around A$25 billion, come directly from advertising scams and banned goods.
A separate report in December by the ABC showed that Meta ran advertisements by Australian company GIM Trading that scammed 80 people into investing $23 million into a business now under investigation by ASIC for a fraudulent bond scheme.
Richard Wilkins appears in a number of scam ads seen regularly across Facebook and Instagram
When asked by Mumbrella if IAB Australia would be open to a similar move, CEO Gai Le Roy referred to “publishers, platforms, ad tech companies, agencies, and brands all sitting at the same table”.
“Each IAB chapter operates independently and makes decisions based on the needs and priorities of its local market,” Le Roy said in a written statement.
“In Australia our focus is on bringing the whole industry together. That means publishers, platforms, ad tech companies, agencies, and brands all sitting at the same table to work through the opportunities and challenges facing digital advertising.”
“The strength of the IAB model is that it provides a forum where different parts of the ecosystem can have those conversations openly and develop practical standards and guidance to support the market,” Le Roy said.
IAB UK has also confirmed it will not be expelling Meta.
Meta has been approached for comment.
NOTE: An earlier version of the story said that Gai Le Roy had confirmed to Mumbrella that Meta would not be subject to a similar move in Australia. This was not correct. Her full quote is reproduced above.
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