
The Australian Ad Observatory
The Australian Ad Observatory project is enabling independent research into the role that algorithmically targeted advertising plays in society.
DigiAdGood seeks to create new digital advertising principles and measurement frameworks that go beyond this and better align human and business goals.
Many societal challenges we face relate to the ‘attention economy’ and are by-products of digital advertising business models and associated engagement metrics that perpetuate the misalignment of human and business goals – humans want to achieve personal goals, businesses want us to spend more time on their platforms in order to profit from our attention. Current advertising effectiveness metrics measure engagement outcomes, thereby incentivising attention-grabbing content that has been linked to a more polarised, distracted, anxious and unhappy society. The widespread unregulated use of AI supercharges this issue, which demands urgent recalibration of incentives that underscore current advertising metrics prioritising engagement (e.g. views, time on page, likes) above all other outcomes. DigiAdGood focuses on how digital advertising can be measured to ensure achievable and positive outcomes for individual, societal and environmental wellbeing. Via real-time tracking of experiences with social media advertising, the project establishes new principles for digital advertising to promote a responsible advertising culture that enhances, rather than harms, subjective wellbeing and drives sustainable consumption. In partnership with industry, DigiAdGood will create and pilot-test innovative wellbeing-based metrics to evaluate social media advertising to better align human and business/technology goals.
Parent organization: ESRC Digital Good Network

The Australian Ad Observatory project is enabling independent research into the role that algorithmically targeted advertising plays in society.
Guidance for Policymakers, Civil Society, and Development Cooperation

Political campaigns spend a lot of money to reach voters on Facebook. Are they telling the truth? Are they saying different things to different people? Help hold them accountable by installing our browser plugin, which sends us the ads you see on Facebook.

The SAFE Framework introduces new standards for digital brand safety in HM Government advertising.
"S.T.I.R.NA" is an initiative aimed at providing information about media owners and ad spending in a simple and convenient manner.