TALK – ZUBAIR SHAFIQ

The Arms Race Between Ad-Tech and Ad-Blockers

Zubair Shafiq
University of Iowa, EUA.

Schedule: May 18, 2017 (Thursday) – 4pm to 5pm.

Local: Salão Karajás.

Abstract: The “free” Web is powered by a multi-billion dollar online advertising industry. Ad-tech companies rely on sophisticated online tracking for behavioral advertising. Unfortunately, the economic magnetism of online advertising has made it an attractive target for various types of abuses. This talk will highlight security and privacy issues in online advertising. It will discuss the rise of ad-blockers, which block ads and/or trackers, and the ensuing arms race between ad-tech and ad-blockers.

Bio: Zubair Shafiq is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Iowa. He received his PhD in Computer Science from Michigan State University in 2014. He is a recipient of the Fitch-Beach Outstanding Graduate Research Award by Michigan State University and the Best Paper Award by the 20th IEEE International Conference on Network Protocols. His research focuses on data-driven aspects of networking, security, and privacy using a combination of empirical and analytical methods. For more information, visit https://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~mshafiq.