Advertising fraud could cost the world $ billion this year , according to a report by The&Partnership and m / Six . The study found that the cost of bot ##nets could have been as high as $ 12.5bn last year , or about 20 % of the $ 66bn spent on digital advertising across the world . Market research firm eMarketer has predicted that digital ad expenditure could total $ 80bn this year . If this is the case , the cost of ad fraud could exceed $ 16bn , warned The&Partnership 's report .
Advertising fraud could cost the industry $16.4bn this year, according to a report by The&Partnership and m/Six. The study found that the cost of bot fraud may have been as high as $12.5bn last year, or about 20% of the $66bn spent on digital advertising across the world. Market research firm eMarketer has predicted that digital ad expenditure could total $80bn this year. If this is the case, the cost of ad fraud could exceed $16bn, warned The&Partnership's report.