Click Attacks

what are they and how to protect ourselves

[TheFlipguy]

In quite a few threads on this forum, I have come across the term click attack. I think I have a vague idea about what it might be. However it will help me and a lot of others who do not know if someone can throw more light on it. Specifically:

1. What is a click attack?

2. Who or what causes a click attack? and Why?

3. How to protect ourselves from a click attack?

4. Is google doing anything to protect the publishers from click attacks?

I know google does a lot to protect the advertisers (they are after all on the top of this eco-chain). However I feel even publishers are a very important part of this chain. Hope google is also working on ways to protect us publishers.

Flip

[ann]

#1 One person or a bot clicking on lots and lots of your ads

#2 Malicious persons or competitors

#3 You tell us!

#4 Nothing that I know of.

Don't hold your breath...it is easier to just ban the publisher, although there are some here who have been dealt with fairly. I would say it is the luck of the draw, depends on who handles your case.

Ann

[Hobbs]

I'll put on the multibillion dollar Google hat for a minute:

If we tell you what we are doing to combat a click attack, your attackers / publishers that pump up their earnings via clicks will adapt and both us and you will be more vulnerable, advertisers will trust us less, pay us less, we both loose.
We are not just banning publishers left and right, we have an intricate algorithm & process that guarantees to the highest possible degree that no injustice is done to the publisher/advertiser, also complemented by well trained agents that manually sniff each case.
We are aware of your agony, but rest assured that we are doing our best, and only proven fraud cases are banned.

Now taking off that heavy hat:

As a publisher, that still does not make me feel better, and frankly I'd rather see WW ban the "I've been banned" threads and direct their posters to a FAQ.