Eli Grey

What are vanity URLs and what is link fraud?

URL spoofing is the act of presenting an internet address that appears to lead to one destination but actually leads to another, unexpected, location. URL spoofing is commonly referred to as “vanity URLs” or “display URLs” by the adtech industry when provided as a first-class feature on adtech platforms. Link fraud is the use of URL spoofing to achieve financial gain or other illicit objectives.

How did we get here?

The adtech industry may excuse these practices as an unavoidable consequence of the complexity of online advertising. However, this overlooks the responsibility that these companies bear for prioritizing profit over user safety and the integrity of their platforms.

What can be done? Verification & enforcement?

Companies are generally mandated by law to provide true statements to consumers where technically possible. Unverified vanity URLs as a first-class feature flies in the face of these requirements. Adtech providers should validate ownership of the domain names used within vanity URLs, or alternatively vanity URLs should be banned entirely.