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

Google removes 85 adware apps from the Play Store

Installed by millions, 85 adware apps were removed from the Google Play Store after security researchers found they contained a common strain of adware. The apps masqueraded as games and TV remote controllers. (ZDNet)

Pre-installed malware on Alcatel phones committing ad fraud, signing users up for paid services

Upstream details the investigation into a pre-installed weather app that was sending data to China, signing users up for pricey services and committing ad fraud on Alcatel Android smartphones. The investigation was sparked after Secure-D encountered a high number of transaction attempts coming from the phones in Brazil and Malaysia. You can read The Wall Street Journal coverage here. (Upstream)

Private auctions are going away as programmatic cleans up

In recent years, buyers have flocked to private marketplaces to avoid the fraud, hidden fees and low-quality ads they saw in the open marketplace. Agencies created a network of auction-based private auctions to protect their clients from these threats. Now the trend is reversing. (AdExchanger)

Former AppLift CEO launches mobile DSP

Tim Koschella, former AppLift CEO, is launching a company called Kayzen, which is positioning itself as a self-serve DSP for performance advertisers. It's designed to help app marketers bring their programmatic ad buying in-house. (AdExchanger)

In Europe, programmatic ad spending grows by double digits

Following the trend seen in the United States, programmatic advertising now accounts for the majority of digital display spending in France, Germany and the UK. This article outlines what programmatic ad spending looks like in each country, with forecasts through 2020. (eMarketer)

Apple trolls Google with massive billboard at CES

During CES in Las Vegas Apple took out a giant outdoor ad on the side of a Marriott hotel showing the outline of an iPhone and the slogan "What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone." At the bottom of the poster is a URL pointing to Apple's privacy policies. The move is a direct attack on Android rivals since the ad plays on fears that the Google-operated mobile system leaks people's data, be that to governments or hackers. (Business Insider)