Twitter Latest to Report Ad Measurement Glitch

Twitter has followed Facebook in announcing errors in the way it measures ad traffic. Reports suggest a bug in the microblogging firm's Android app inflated video ad metrics by up to 35 percent. Facebook itself has held talks with the MRC on a possible audit of its methods.


Twitter told advertisers it had overbilled them for some campaigns and issued refunds accordingly. A spokesperson told online publication Business Insider: 'We recently discovered a technical error due to a Twitter product update to Android clients that affected some video ad campaigns from November 7 to December 12. Once we discovered the issue, we resolved it and communicated the impact to affected partners. Given this was a technical error, not a policy or definition issue, we are confident it has been resolved'.


Facebook has reported at least four mistakes in its stats over the last six months or so, including one where it had undercounted traffic. In early December, it reported discrepancies between like and share button counts and those for mobile search queries. In November, it owned up to errors in its reporting of page visits, and announced moves to give users 'more clarity and confidence about the insights it provides' - including new partnerships, more communication about activities and the formation of a new 'Measurement Council'. The revelations began in the summer when it said it had drastically overstated the time users spend watching its video ads. Facebook is currently the object of a lawsuit brought by three advertisers as a result of this initial problem.

The company is now in talks with standards body the Media Rating Council, about the possibility of auditing and accrediting its methods as it tries to restore trust. MRC Associate Director and Senior VP David Gunzerath told Ad Age this week: 'Facebook has yet to choose to commit to engage in the MRC accreditation process. We would very much like them to do so. We've had very direct discussions with Facebook about it'.