Integral Ad Science Acquires Bot Detectors Swarm

IntegralAdScienceIntegral Ad Science has taken another step in the fight against ad fraud, acquiring a bot detection company called Swarm that uses a method called side channel analysis which examines web browsers to identify bots.

While Integral Ad Science has developed its own side channel analysis technology, the two companys methods are apparently complementary, and adding Swarms tech to its own, along with its big data capabilities, will result in a stronger, more thorough solution.

The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, but Swarm will continue to operate out of its offices in San Francisco, with most if not all of the team retaining their current positions.

According to Integral Ad Science, fraud methods are growing increasingly complex as bot behaviour is adapted to mimic users on a variety of metrics, such as scroll rates, hover rates and even viewability – KPIs which were previously used to guarantee human users.

“This acquisition is a significant one for our company as it allows us to grow our fraud solutions more efficiently,” said an Integral Ad Science spokesperson in a post regarding the acquisition. “We will be able to more quickly add sophisticated capabilities to our technology and team, and are excited to see what this new partnership will bring.”

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