Marketecture: Get Smart. Fast.
Marketecture: Get Smart. Fast.
Ari Paparo
Episode 184: Ben Edelman Will Send You to Affiliate Jail
49 minutes Posted Jul 31, 2026 at 4:00 am.
Introduction
Podcast updates and industry news preview
Meet Ben Edelman
The Blinkx adware investigation
How Ben investigates ad fraud
The Phia affiliate controversy explained
Can affiliate marketing be trusted?
AppLovin's install practices
Where to follow Ben Edelman
Meta and Microsoft earnings
Amazon becomes the largest Fortune 500 company
Google's Buyer Direct and antitrust concerns
The rise of micro and nano creators
AI-generated content in programmatic advertising
FreeWheel's new CTV reporting capabilities
X and the WFA legal settlement
Final thoughts
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Show notes
Ben Edelman, independent consultant and longtime ad fraud investigator, joins Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi to discuss the Phia affiliate controversy, the evolution of ad fraud, AppLovin's install practices, and what marketers should know about trust and attribution. They also cover Meta and Microsoft earnings, Google's Buyer Direct, creator marketing trends, FreeWheel's latest CTV update, and more.
Takeaways:
- Ben Edelman explains how affiliate fraud has evolved and why it remains a major issue.
- A deep dive into the Phia browser extension controversy and affiliate attribution.
- Lessons from the Blinkx adware scandal and AppLovin's forced install investigation.
- Ari and Eric discuss Meta and Microsoft earnings, Google's Buyer Direct, and the future of creator marketing.
- The latest updates from FreeWheel, Amazon, X, and the broader ad tech industry.
Chapters:
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