Google Served and Viewable Ad Metrics Suspended by MRC

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The MRC (Media Rating Council) has suspended its accreditation of two of Googles ad metrics.

As of this month, the MRC will not recognise DoubleClick for Publishers served impressions on the mobile web and active view viewability metrics on desktop.

The metrics MRC accreditation hasnt been fully revoked, but will remain suspended pending resolution of non-compliance issues related to display served impression counts.

The cause of the suspension, according to Business Insider, is related to a technicality in the April update to the MRCs guidelines, and its a problem that Google hopes to have resolved “by the end of the year”.

The decision doesnt cover DoubleClick for Publishers viewable impression count – or its desktop video viewability metrics, which were granted accreditation just a month earlier.

This follows last months news that Facebook was artificially inflating its average viewing time measurement for video ads and, just yesterday, a report showing that the n day app retention metric may actually be under-estimated by a factor of three. As mobile advertising reaches maturity, its high time the industry turned a closer eye to the accuracy of its metrics.