Advertising Policies

General Standards

• All advertising must comply with applicable laws and regulations in the regions where it is served, including but not limited to FTC guidelines, GDPR, and CCPA.
• Ads must be clearly distinguishable from editorial content. All paid placements will carry a "Sponsored," "Advertisement," or "Promoted" label as appropriate.
• Valnet reserves the right to reject or remove any creative that does not meet our standards, regardless of prior approval.
• Advertisers are responsible for ensuring their creatives are accurate, not misleading, and do not infringe on any third-party intellectual property rights.

Prohibited Content

• Adult content, explicit material, or content inappropriate for a general audience.
• Content that promotes discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or national origin.
• Misleading health claims, fake news, or content designed to deceive users.
• Malware, spyware, adware, or any code that could harm users' devices or privacy.
• Ads that simulate system alerts, error messages, or UI elements to trick users.
• Content relating to illegal products or services, including unlicensed pharmaceuticals and illegal gambling.
• Political advertising is subject to additional review and approval on a case-by-case basis.

Technical Requirements

• All creative assets must meet the file size, format, and dimension requirements specified for each ad unit. See individual unit specs for details.
• HTML5 ads must be built to standard IAB guidelines. Third-party tags must be SSL-certified (HTTPS only).
• Ads may not initiate audio playback without a user action, except where explicitly supported (e.g., muted auto-play video with click-to-unmute).
• Ads may not redirect users without a deliberate click. Pop-unders and automatic redirects are prohibited.
• Animation must stop after a maximum of three loops or 30 seconds, whichever comes first, unless the user interacts with the ad.
• All video ads must comply with VAST 4.x or VPAID 2.0 specifications.

Lead Times

• Standard IAB display units: materials due 5 business days prior to campaign launch.
• High Impact and Custom units with client-supplied assets: materials due 10 business days prior to launch.
• High Impact units requiring Valnet production: briefing required 15 business days prior to launch.
• Sponsored Content: editorial brief due 10 business days prior to publication; client assets due 5 business days prior to publication.
• Late materials may result in delayed campaign start. Valnet is not responsible for delivery shortfalls caused by late creative submissions.

Data & Privacy

• All advertising technology used on Valnet properties must comply with IAB TCF 2.0 and applicable privacy regulations.
• Behavioural targeting must operate within the consent framework active on each property.
• Valnet does not allow third-party data collection or pixel firing without prior written approval.
• Retargeting pixels must be disclosed and must only fire on users who have given appropriate consent.

Sponsored Content Policy

• All sponsored content will be clearly labelled as "Sponsored" in accordance with FTC guidelines.
• Sponsored articles are written by Valnet editorial staff and must align with the voice and editorial standards of the relevant publication.
• Advertisers may provide a brief, key messages, and asset materials. Final editorial discretion rests with Valnet.
• Sponsored content must not make claims that cannot be substantiated. Valnet reserves the right to modify or reject copy that conflicts with editorial standards.