Alex Goldman

We created that technology to regulate another famously complicated system, the stock market.

So it sounds like the technology is already there and it seems like it would be not too difficult to apply.

What is standing in the way of applying this technology?

In the meantime, Claire says there's already been major progress in this fight to clean up the digital ad space.

More than 20 states have enacted data protection laws, some of which allow their citizens to opt out of consumer surveillance programs entirely.

And then last year, a judge for the U.S.

District Court of Virginia ruled that Google held an illegal monopoly over the ad tech space.

And while it's still unclear what, if any, impact that ruling will have over the ad tech space, even the fact that the courts are paying attention to this issue feels like progress.

Before we said goodbye to Claire, I asked her if there was anything that our listeners might be able to do to improve the digital advertising landscape now.

And she said, yes, definitely.

On the advertiser side, Claire recommends that companies seriously audit their ad campaigns.

Forget high level performance reports from ad tech companies.

These are only gonna show you the surface level stuff that they want you to see.

Instead, ask for log level data.

This will give you the most comprehensive view of where your ads appeared.

and then audit the shit out of that list.

If you find discrepancies between the log-level data and the campaign standards that you were promised, demand cash refunds.

You are entitled to them.

And the more that these companies are forced to bear the financial burden of their shady practices, the more likely they are to change.

But also, if they can, companies should try to cut out the middlemen.