TAG (Trustworthy Accountability Group)
TAG provides independent certification and accountability standards that help advertisers, agencies, and ad tech companies eliminate fraud, malware, and piracy from the digital advertising supply chain, protecting brand safety and media investment.
Last updated Sep 26, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment · Connections updated Sep 28, 2026
At a glance
- Employees
- 11-50
About
The leading industry-backed certification and accountability body for digital advertising supply chain integrity, recognized globally by major advertisers, agencies, and platforms.
The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is a cross-industry accountability program established to fight criminal activity and increase trust in the digital advertising ecosystem. Founded in 2015 as a joint initiative by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's), the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), TAG operates as a nonprofit certification body that sets standards and verifies compliance across the digital advertising supply chain. TAG's core mission centers on four primary threats to digital advertising integrity: ad fraud, malware, piracy, and lack of transparency. The organization issues certifications to companies that meet its rigorous standards, including the TAG Certified Against Fraud, TAG Certified Against Malware, TAG Brand Safety Certified, and the Inventory Quality Guidelines (IQG) certifications. These certifications signal to buyers and sellers that a company has undergone independent auditing and meets industry-agreed standards for supply chain integrity. TAG holds a unique and influential position in the AdTech ecosystem as a neutral, industry-backed standards body rather than a commercial vendor. Its certifications are widely recognized by major advertisers, agencies, publishers, and ad tech platforms globally. TAG's Trustworthy Marketplace program and its partnerships with law enforcement agencies further distinguish it as a serious institutional force in combating digital ad crime. The organization operates globally, with particular strength in North America and Europe, and its certified company registry is used by major brands as a vetting tool for supply chain partners.
Business model
Nonprofit / Membership & Certification Fees
Target market
Enterprise
What they offer
TAG Certified Against Fraud
Certification program verifying that companies meet rigorous standards to combat ad fraud across the digital advertising supply chain.
TAG Certified Against Malware
Certification ensuring companies have implemented proper controls to prevent malware distribution through digital advertising.
TAG Brand Safety Certified
Certification validating that companies follow established brand safety standards and guidelines to protect advertisers from harmful content adjacency.
Inventory Quality Guidelines (IQG)
Standardized framework and certification for transparent inventory quality classification and disclosure across the programmatic ecosystem.
TAG Trustworthy Marketplace
A designation for ad marketplaces that meet TAG's highest standards for fraud prevention, transparency, and supply chain integrity.
TAG Registry
A publicly searchable database of TAG-certified companies, enabling buyers and sellers to vet supply chain partners for compliance and trustworthiness.
Payment ID (TAG-ID)
A unique identifier system for companies in the digital advertising supply chain to improve transparency and traceability of ad spend.
Key features
Use cases
Customer segments
Tech & specs
Technology stack
Security & compliance
Deployment
API
Limited
- 2015 · Founded