• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, July 26, 2016

The industry's Trustworthy Accountability Group said today it has accepted 100 companies -- including Google, Facebook, WPP and Omnicom Media Group -- into its registry of "legitimate participants in the digital advertising industry."

The registry is a key component of the industry's program to combat online fraud, malware and piracy. The accepted companies, all of which underwent background checks, were awarded the TAG-ID -- an identifier that can be appended to online ads as well as ad inventory.

TAG began accepting applications for the registry last October. Companies that applied were required to provide a tax ID number, corporate address, and the name of a "compliance officer" responsible making sure the company meets its obligations. TAG used Dun and Bradstreet to vet the accepted companies.

The registry is open to marketers, ad networks, agencies and publishers in the supply chain. The cost of registering as a stand-alone service is $10,000 per year, or companies can purchase membership packages that cost $15,000 for marketers and publishers, or $25,000 for ad agencies and tech companies. The memberships let companies pursue certification with the TAG seals.

"The difference in cost is due to the fact that agencies and ad tech companies are generally both buyers and sellers of inventory and would avail themselves of more of the TAG seals than a marketer or publisher would likely utilize," TAG CEO Mike Zaneis says in an email to MediaPost.