Concerns surrounding digital advertising transparency are spreading across Europe with marketers calling for the introduction of a set of ethical standards for the industry, according to ad tech company Iotec.

A survey of 750 marketing decision makers in the UK, France, and Germany – conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Iotec – found that 56 per cent of UK marketers agree that tech companies have an ethical responsibility to clients and end consumers, compared with 65 per cent in France and 31 per cent in Germany.

The idea of ethical responsibility has 60 per cent of French marketers and 54 per cent of UK marketers stating there is a need for code of ethics, as opposed to just 29 per cent in Germany.

This also means that budgets of some suppliers may suffer, with 83 per cent of French marketers, 81 per cent of UK marketers, and 69 per cent of marketers in Germany suggesting they are reading to switch to a more ethical ad tech partner.

Adding fuel to that fire, only 42 per cent of German marketers believe their current vendor is honest and transparent, while the figure sits at 60 per cent in France and 56 per cent in the UK.

The biggest fears that both French and German marketers have over transparency are price and margin, the use of data, and media placement. This is compared to UK marketers citing transparency over ad optimisation tactics as a more important worry than media placement.

Paul Wright, CEO of Iotec, said: “We are seeing continued disruption this year in all areas of marketing, and transparency continues to be a key driver of this change. Therefore, it’s now time for the industry to reinvent the advertising model around transparent and ethically driven business practices.”

Iotec’s research findings come as the company expands its operations into France, following its move into Germany last year.