The latest news and views for the Supply-Side and DSP Community.

Industry reacts to Sizmek's bankruptcy and tries to pinpoint what went wrong

Sizmek's bankruptcy filing has shaken digital ad executives, who regarded the company's ad server business as an important contender to Google's. Digiday interviews several industry executives to see where they think the company went wrong. Meanwhile, Sizmek says it's still open, but other ad servers are plotting to scoop up some of its business. On Tuesday the company confirmed between 30 and 80 layoffs. (Digiday, AdExchanger, and AdWeek)

How Android fought an epic botnet - and won

Wired chronicles the Android-security-team battle with the sophisticated mobile malware, Chamois. Chamois has been around since at least 2016 and was being distributed through Google Play and third-party app stores, infecting 20.8 million devices at its peak in March 2018. The malware focused on serving malicious ads and driving premium SMS scams from a command and control server. (Wired)

Ad-tech execs are betting big on OTT but worry that ad fraud and measurement challenges will hold back advertisers

Ad-tech companies are clamoring for a piece of TV-size ad budgets but face big challenges in shaking up a $70-billion industry. As consumers increasingly stream shows on connected TVs, ad-tech firms are racing to build out the technology stacks that enable advertising on over-the-top apps, but worry that as more ad dollars flow to OTT, digital's problems may follow. (Business Insider)

DataXu lays off about 30 staffers

DataXu laid off approximately 30 staffers, according to multiple sources, the same week the company named Ed Montes as president and general manager of its TotalTV unit. Montes confirmed the layoffs, telling Adweek that less than 10 percent of the company’s roughly 300 employees were affected. (AdWeek)

Google says malware in Play store doubled in 2018 because of click fraud

Google has revealed that malware installed from Google Play grew by 100 percent last year. But the company says the main reason for the growth is that for the first time its definition of "potentially harmful apps" (PHAs) now includes click-fraud apps. (ZDNet)

Android adware tricks ad networks into thinking it's an iPhone to make more money

Google recently removed 22 Android apps from the Play Store. The apps were removed for abusing Android devices to load and click on ads behind the users' backs. But what made this particular Android adware campaign stand out wasn't that the infected apps clicked ads behind users' backs, it was that the apps disguised the Android device as an iPhone in the eyes of online advertisers. (ZDNet)

New Gizmodo Media Group owner has 'big plans' for programmatic and e-commerce

Univision has sold Gizmodo Media Group (GMG) to private-equity firm Great Hill Partners for an undisclosed amount. James Spanfeller, who served as chief executive officer of Forbes.com for over eight years, has been named chief executive of what will now be called G/O Media. The new company includes GMG's properties including Gizmodo, Deadspin, Jezebel, The Onion, and AV Club. The company has "big plans" to leverage programmatic advertising and drive e-commerce to turn revenue around. (The Drum)