Many digital advertisers depend on technology giants like Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Bing, etc. for increasing clicks and views on their ads, and through these platforms, they also judge whether their ads are effective or not? They also urge the users to install applications, and to improve this overall engagement, these advertisement companies spend on views that often account for 20% of their total budget by employing robot-controlled software. Now, however unscrupulous it sounds, surprisingly this thing is not illegal, and as per Sachin Dhar, the director of research and strategy at the web analytics firm, Method Media Intelligence, these ad companies get heftily paid by views and clicks on social media platforms. And it is a lot easier for them to increase their clicks and views through bots, and it is not against the law either!
However, since on ethical and moral grounds, this activity is considered fraudulent, so, Facebook and other tech companies are often asked to block robot-controlled software and browsers. Recently, a report published by Method Media Intelligence has pointed out that while Facebook has the technology to block these bots from entering their system through a proper log-in procedure and then click on ads and increase their views, the company does not do enough to stop it all! In fact, it only starts blocking these bots out at the account registration stage, not before that. And this gives these bots ample time to do what they are programmed to do!
As per the Method Media Intelligence report, these bots have become very sophisticated and technologically advanced now, and they can easily imitate human actions for clicking on ads, opening different web pages and improving views, downloading apps, and even filling out forms that are designed for humans. Advertisers are paying more for all these fake activities, and Facebook and other tech companies charge these advertisers for views and clicks. In fact, MMI has alleged Facebook of making it easier for robot-controlled software to log in to the platform, view pages, and click on ads, despite having the means and technology to block them before they ever get the chance to do anything like that in the first place!
To prove their point, MMI simulated an automated browser and showed how easily it could log in to Facebook’s platform and how it was able to interact just like humans do. MMI feels that Facebook should use their bot-blocking technology more effectively.
On the other hand, MMI has beef with Google for the same issue too. According to MMI’s report, Google does not even try to see whether different ads are clicked, and views are increased by humans or bots. MMI alleged Google of not using any parameters whatsoever to ensure that the traffic they have is humane, and not by bots.
Cosminxp Cosmin Getty Images
Read next: iOS Developers Now Know When To Manipulate An Apple User Into Giving Good Reviews
However, since on ethical and moral grounds, this activity is considered fraudulent, so, Facebook and other tech companies are often asked to block robot-controlled software and browsers. Recently, a report published by Method Media Intelligence has pointed out that while Facebook has the technology to block these bots from entering their system through a proper log-in procedure and then click on ads and increase their views, the company does not do enough to stop it all! In fact, it only starts blocking these bots out at the account registration stage, not before that. And this gives these bots ample time to do what they are programmed to do!
As per the Method Media Intelligence report, these bots have become very sophisticated and technologically advanced now, and they can easily imitate human actions for clicking on ads, opening different web pages and improving views, downloading apps, and even filling out forms that are designed for humans. Advertisers are paying more for all these fake activities, and Facebook and other tech companies charge these advertisers for views and clicks. In fact, MMI has alleged Facebook of making it easier for robot-controlled software to log in to the platform, view pages, and click on ads, despite having the means and technology to block them before they ever get the chance to do anything like that in the first place!
To prove their point, MMI simulated an automated browser and showed how easily it could log in to Facebook’s platform and how it was able to interact just like humans do. MMI feels that Facebook should use their bot-blocking technology more effectively.
On the other hand, MMI has beef with Google for the same issue too. According to MMI’s report, Google does not even try to see whether different ads are clicked, and views are increased by humans or bots. MMI alleged Google of not using any parameters whatsoever to ensure that the traffic they have is humane, and not by bots.
Cosminxp Cosmin Getty Images
Read next: iOS Developers Now Know When To Manipulate An Apple User Into Giving Good Reviews
