Mike Zaneis

Mike Zaneis is one of the most consequential figures in digital advertising policy and accountability, best known for building the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) into the global standard for fighting ad fraud, malware, and piracy in the digital advertising supply chain. Under his leadership, TAG has certified hundreds of companies worldwide and established programs — including the Certified Against Fraud, Certified Against Malware, and Brand Safety Certified seals — that have become baseline requirements for responsible programmatic advertising. His work sits at the intersection of industry self-regulation, law enforcement collaboration, and technical standards, making him a rare operator who bridges policy, technology, and commerce. Before leading TAG, Zaneis served as General Counsel and then Executive Vice President at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), where he was a principal architect of the industry's self-regulatory frameworks around behavioral advertising and privacy. He played a central role in developing the AdChoices program and the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), which became the dominant U.S. model for consumer opt-out from interest-based advertising. His legal and policy background gave him deep credibility with regulators, legislators, and law enforcement agencies, relationships he has continued to leverage at TAG through partnerships with Europol, the FBI, and other bodies. Zaneis is widely regarded as a standards-setter and policy architect whose influence extends well beyond any single company. He is a frequent speaker at major industry events including Cannes Lions, Advertising Week, and IAB conferences, and is regularly cited in trade press on issues of brand safety, supply chain transparency, and ad fraud. His career reflects a consistent focus on building durable institutional infrastructure for an industry that has often struggled with trust deficits.

• JD, George Mason University School of Law
• BA, University of Michigan

• Built TAG into a globally recognized certification body with hundreds of certified companies across the digital advertising supply chain
• Co-architected the AdChoices self-regulatory program and Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) while at the IAB
• Established law enforcement partnerships with Europol and the FBI to combat criminal ad fraud networks
• Launched TAG's Certified Against Fraud program, which independent studies credited with reducing fraud rates significantly among certified channels

• Various op-eds and bylines in AdExchanger, Ad Age, and Campaign on brand safety and fraud prevention