EUROPEAN UNION’S DIGITAL SERVICES ACT

On Saturday 17 February 2024, the European Union’s Digital Services Act comes into force for all Online Platforms. For Ad Networks, Mobile apps, Advertisers, and Publishers, this pertains specifically to Article 26 – Online advertising transparency. The law aims to enable EU end users to identify the Advertiser behind every ad shown on a website or within an app. This information will be extracted from data provided by the Advertiser to Bidvance.

All Online Platforms must comply with allowing the end user to know more about the advertisement they are seeing. This includes indicating that the displayed content is an advertisement, specifying the natural or legal person on whose behalf the ad is displayed, and providing meaningful information about the main parameters used to determine the recipient of the advertisement. Thus, Bidvance will display such information about the ad, regardless of the geographical location of Online Platforms or Advertisers.

A small clickable ‘i’ information icon will appear overlaid on the top left corner of the ad with Bidvance. Upon clicking the icon, a display box will emerge over the ad presenting a clickable ‘About This Ad’ button. By clicking ‘About This Ad,’ EU end users will access a new webpage showcasing two sections of information: ‘Why you’re seeing this ad’ and ‘About this Advertiser.’ After viewing, users can close the webpage to return to the browsing experience.

To ensure compliance, Advertisers must provide accurate information in their Bidvance profiles, including company name, first name, and last name. Failure to do so will result in the rejection of campaigns on Bidvance’s network. Similarly, Publishers must enable the Ad Transparency Dialog in their Admin Panel to make ads DSA compliant. Further details are available on Bidvance’s dedicated DSA webpage, and for additional assistance, users can contact their account manager or the Customer Success Team.