IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau)

The dominant and most influential trade association in the global digital advertising industry, setting standards adopted universally across the ecosystem

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is the preeminent trade association representing the digital advertising and marketing industry. Founded in 1996, IAB empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy by developing technical standards, conducting industry research, and providing legal and public policy guidance. With over 700 leading media companies, brands, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital marketing campaigns as members, IAB plays a central role in shaping the rules and norms of the digital advertising ecosystem. IAB is perhaps best known for developing foundational industry standards such as the OpenRTB protocol, the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), ads.txt, sellers.json, and the IAB Tech Lab's suite of technical specifications that underpin programmatic advertising globally. The organization also publishes widely cited research including the annual Internet Advertising Revenue Report (in partnership with PwC), which serves as the definitive measure of digital ad spend in the United States. IAB's policy and advocacy work addresses issues including data privacy legislation, brand safety, and measurement standards. IAB operates through a network of regional chapters and affiliates worldwide, including IAB Europe, IAB UK, and dozens of other country-level organizations. Its technical arm, IAB Tech Lab, functions as a separate nonprofit focused exclusively on developing open technical standards and solutions. IAB's influence extends across the entire digital advertising supply chain — from publishers and advertisers to agencies, DSPs, SSPs, and data providers — making it one of the most consequential organizations in the AdTech industry.