A bombshell report published by Adalytics on Friday has sparked a brand safety scandal in the ad tech community, spurring demands from industry professionals for greater transparency from key ad tech vendors.
The report found that players like Google and Amazon allegedly served ads on a website hosting material. The news prompted lawmakers to send letters to major tech companies to express “profound” concern about the findings.
Google and Amazon did not return requests for comment.
Adalytics found that programmatic ads from many major advertisers ran on a free, ad-supported image-sharing site (imgbb.com) that does not require user registration, and which hosted explicit images of young children between 2021 and 2025. As of January 2025, Google AdX, Google Ad Manager and DV360 did not appear to be actively transacting ads on the site, the report confirmed.
The Current spoke with 12 digital marketing experts about the report’s implications for the ad tech marketplace. Some offered comments on the record, while others requested anonymity.
The report reveals why transparency is critical to a healthy supply chain, and calls into question the effectiveness of brand-safety verification platforms like DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science (IAS), some sources say.
“It is long-past due for the industry to take a long, hard look at its failed efforts to self-regulate,” says Arielle Garcia, COO of Check My Ads.
You can use AdTech that provides real-time analytics, allowing advertisers to instantly track the performance of their campaigns. This real-time feedback loop allows advertisers to make data-driven decisions and optimize their strategies on the fly. Whether it’s adjusting targeting parameters or customizing ad creatives, companies like the official site Oxagile ensure that campaigns remain flexible and responsive to changing market dynamics.