Google has acquired London-based Spider.io, a startup that specialises in blocking online-traffic fraud, in efforts to combat online fraud.
The deal should help the search engine to detect botnets, malware as well as scammers’ attempts to generate money in the $116bn online ad market.
Google display advertising VP Neal Mohan said that Spider.io’s technology will be used to detect fraud in its video and display ad products.
"Advertising helps fund the digital world we love today," Mohan added.
"Over the long term, our goal is to improve the metrics that advertisers and publishers use to determine the value of digital media and give all parties a clearer, cleaner picture of what campaigns and media are truly delivering strong results.
"Also, by including Spider.io’s fraud fighting expertise in our products, we can scale our efforts to weed out bad actors and improve the entire digital ecosystem."
