#programmatic-ads

#programmatic-ads

GeoEdge, the global authority in ad security and user protection, today (18th November, 2025) announced the launch of User Safety Now, a global initiative urging the adoption of a universal safety standard for digital advertising. The initiative follows GeoEdge's warning to regulators and digital media industry leaders that the internet is confronting a mounting user-safety crisis. In 2025, GeoEdge found that 1 in every 40 programmatic impressions in North America carried malicious intent designed to defraud users.

What came over the transom was "low-brow advertising that essentially are the bottom feeders coming through at very low CPMs," says VP of ad sales Andrew Guendjoian. Duolingo is now moving upstream from programmatic. It will pursue more direct deals, particularly with major partners in travel, which is a natural adjacency for a language app. And it will build custom campaigns featuring its own cast of in-app characters (apparently there are more than the green owl).