Brand Safety in 2025: It’s Not a Checkbox Compliance Anymore for Digital Brands

Imagine you’re investing in branding ads to be visible among your target users, but instead, your ads are getting placed beside content that harms your brand image. And unknowingly, you’re funding that content, and your users perceive your brand to be associated with this content.

Something similar happened during the recent incident of the Pahalgam attack. Many brands’ ads were appearing beside the terrorist attack news, putting them in a negative light.

An analysis done by mFilterIt indicates that 7% to 12% of brand safety violations occur in campaigns that do not prioritize curated content platforms. Brands using traditional methods to block brand unsafe ad placements often lack contextual awareness, resulting in either excessive blocking of appropriate content or overlooking potentially harmful placements.

Every misplaced ad leads to erosion of brand integrity and credibility, making viewers assume your brand is funding misleading and harmful content digitally. This directly influences the audience’s perception of your brand, and in worst cases boycotting a brand. Therefore, it is more important than ever for advertisers to keep a vigilant check and control over brand placements and brand safety in the digital advertising landscape.

So now the question is for advertisers and marketers globally — Are you sure your ads are not appearing next to brand-unsafe content, fake news, conspiracy theories, or any kind of harmful content that might hurt the emotions of your audience?

If not, keep reading ahead.

In this article, we will explore the new threats hurting brand reputation, why traditional safeguards are no longer enough, why regions like the USA, MENA, and India must embrace a new level of vigilance — brand safety solutions, and how these solutions ensure brand relevancy and contextual targeting.

How are Brand Safety threats evolving?
Brand safety threats have grown in complexity, driven by automation, evolving content formats, and the unpredictable nature of programmatic ecosystems.

1. AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes
The rapid increase in use of generative AI has enabled the creation of hyper-realistic fake content. From synthetic news anchors to manipulated interviews, these deepfakes blur the lines between reality and fiction. When brands are unintentionally associated with such misleading or polarizing content, reputational damage is severe and swift.