New partnership strengthens commitment to safe, compliant, and high-quality programmatic inventory
Index Exchange Inc. (Index), one of the world’s largest independent supply-side platforms (SSPs), today announced a partnership with DeepSee.io, a leader in brand safety, compliance, fraud detection, and risk management solutions. This collaboration is designed to further elevate the quality and safety of programmatic advertising, aligning with Index’s mission to provide transparency, efficiency, and premium inventory.
Index confirmed its long-standing commitment to eliminating and prohibiting made-for-advertising (MFA) sites from its exchange last year and has always taken a firm stand against low-value inventory. Now, by integrating DeepSee.io’s advanced insights, Index is adding another layer of protection and detection to its exchange quality efforts, further strengthening its rigorous exchange quality practices and ensuring access to premium, brand-safe inventory.
As part of the partnership, Index gains access to DeepSee.io’s AI-driven technology, which provides valuable, data-driven insights into critical factors such as brand safety, piracy, and MFA detection. DeepSee.io’s platform analyzes websites based on key indicators—including ad-to-content ratios, refresh rates, content authenticity, and fraudulent traffic patterns—enabling Index to further refine its inventory and protect media buyers from low-value placements.
“We’re thrilled to partner with DeepSee.io to continue to elevate brand safety standards within the programmatic ecosystem,” said Jason Cicchetti, general counsel and head of exchange quality at Index Exchange. “MFA and low-quality inventory are ever-evolving challenges, which is why we remain steadfast in our proactive approach to auditing our exchange. This partnership strengthens our ability to detect non-compliant content ensuring media buyers have access to the highest-quality, brand-safe ad opportunities.”
“As a leader in quality standards, Index Exchange has set the bar for transparency and quality in programmatic advertising,” said Rocky Moss, CEO of DeepSee.io. “This partnership strengthens the safeguards in place for media buyers, ensuring they can transact with confidence in a reputable, fraud-free environment.”
It’s not only buyers who benefit when MFA is removed from the exchange; as a result of the MFA terminations in 2024, the top 10 buyers who previously had MFA exposure increased their spend with legitimate publishers by 39% year over year. This shift underscores the positive impact of enforcing higher standards across the industry: In a time when it’s never been easier to create low-effort inventory that doesn’t resonate with readers, DeepSee.io and Index Exchange’s partnership represents a commitment to funding genuine content from passionate creators. Buyers can also observe that prioritizing quality supply leads to measurable results and a stronger, more transparent programmatic supply chain.
As programmatic advertising continues to grapple with ad fraud, substandard inventory, and brand safety risks, Index Exchange remains committed to upholding industry best practices. This partnership reinforces its commitment to fostering a transparent exchange where marketers can confidently transact with premium inventory that supports responsible journalism and high-quality content.
