• by Tyler Loechner  @mp_tyler, February 20, 2014

Mobile ad exchange Nexage this week announced the closed beta launch of Nexage Protect, a product for mobile publishers meant to help them better control their inventory in a programmatic environment.

It is a common hypothesis that brands are holding back from putting more dollars into programmatic because of safety issues, such as click fraud. With that in mind, Nexage partnered with The Media Trust -- a company that identifies fraudulent ads, malware, etc. -- to offer malware detection through its Nexage Protect product.

Additionally, publishers can create block lists for specific buyers or advertisers, and set controls for certain types of creative through “ad screening.”

Victor Milligan, CMO of Nexage, told RTM Daily that “ad screening controls” act as a filter for unwanted ads and creative; it creates a block list but requires the publisher to be reactive.

“Ad screening enables the publisher to click on the creative and preclude it from showing in the future,” Milligan said. “This occurs in near real-time, because humans need to decide if they want to screen an ad and that may not be an instantaneous act. Once clicked, however, the creative is blocked by automated controls.”