Yahoo Inc. has reached a settlement agreement with fraud examiner Checkmate Strategic Group Inc. and will provide more clarity about the search engine’s click protection efforts and more lucidity to advertisers in the future.
Yahoo and Checkmate, Delray Beach, FL, have been involved in a class-action click fraud lawsuit since June 2005.
The Yahoo agreement comes a month after rival search engine Google, Mountain View, CA, had a $90 million settlement of claims brought against it in a class-action click fraud lawsuit.
Checkmate Strategic Group conducts asset searches, including traces of bank and brokerage accounts, and offers product and forensic financial investigations.
Yahoo will offer advertisers a period during which they can submit click fraud claims for clicks dating back through January 2004. Advertisers will get 100 percent credit if they prove their claim.
The Sunnyvale, CA, company will appoint a traffic quality advocate whose sole purpose will be addressing advertiser concerns about click fraud.
Yahoo will allow advertisers to review its systems, meet with the CTP team and give input on how to continue enhancing the fight against click fraud. It will work with a third party and will begin an industrywide effort to fight click fraud.
Also, Yahoo’s technical and human resources will build a traffic quality resource center to offer advertisers more detailed information about traffic quality issues.
Yahoo did not return a call at press time.
