In 2023, the fight against MFA sites—so-called Made for Advertising—became one of the central topics in advertising-focused media. Initiatives by ANA (#ANA), research by Jounce Media (#Jounce Media), large-scale investigations (Forbes #Forbes), and reactions from major brands led to the removal or deep auditing of low-quality sites in the supply chain. It seemed the industry had finally developed an immunity to websites created solely for advertising—with secondary content and aggressive monetization.

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However, one form of MFA is being replaced by another. In 2024, attention shifted to ad inventory hidden inside mobile apps—particularly games. This is a new version of the old problem: massive ad impressions, low engagement, lack of brand safety, and zero audience awareness.

🎮 How “Gaming MFA” Works

The mechanics are simple. A user downloads a game—usually a basic puzzle, arcade, or simulator. After a few minutes, a barrier appears: to proceed, they must watch a video ad. In a single session, this may occur 3–5 to 10–20 times. The player is not interested in the ad—their goal is to earn a reward: extra moves, boosters, or in-game currency. This fundamentally shifts the motivation for viewing. Where previously user-initiated video was considered advertising gold, now rewarded video is becoming a toxic format due to low-quality engagement, misleading signals, and an anonymous environment.

Such apps often suffer from high levels of Invalid Traffic (IVT), issues with ad viewability, and brand suitability. Moreover, contextual data about the ad placement is virtually nonexistent: advertisers don’t know where or when their creatives were shown and cannot link campaigns to actual user behavior.

🤔 Why the Industry Is Struggling to Respond

The main reason is structural limitations of mobile in-app inventory. Unlike the web—where domain, content, and behavioral data are accessible—in apps the data is often limited to a bundle ID and an App Store link. This creates classification difficulties, especially in real-time bidding where decisions are made in milliseconds.

In-app advertising still lacks standardized transparency and verification protocols. Despite ongoing efforts, the supply chain remains opaque due to technical constraints. As a result, advertisers don’t receive a complete picture of placement context, nature, and user engagement.

The ecosystem of DSPs, SSPs, and SDK providers is gradually adapting: solutions for genre filtering, rewarded ad tracking, and attention measurement are emerging. However, without universal industry standards and buyer-side pressure, the market remains inert.

📊 What the Data Says

According to Appsflyer’s Q1 2024 report, around 38% of in-app video impressions come from hypercasual games, where the average session length is under 3 minutes. This means users see 1–2 ads per session without forming any brand connection.

A report from DoubleVerify highlights the growth of rewarded inventory in mobile and warns of declining brand lift and CTR in such campaigns. Visibility metrics are often inflated: video ads are embedded into gameplay, and while they cannot be skipped, that doesn’t mean the user is actually watching.

⚙️ Not Just Games

Rewarded mechanics have long moved beyond hypercasual games. A whole class of apps in the mobile ecosystem now treats ads not as a complement but as the core of the user experience. Chief among them are free VPN services, which only unlock features (e.g., country selection, Wi-Fi protection) after a video ad is watched. The user is not engaged with the content—they are simply paying with attention to access a service.

Similar schemes apply to photo editors, fake scanners, memory cleaners, weather forecasts, and even period trackers—any app exploiting frequent triggers and instant rewards. These apps often disguise themselves as utilities but are in fact monetized aggressively through advertising.

I personally encounter this daily—as a father of a six-year-old. In nearly every free children's game—whether a puzzle or a runner—the gameplay is interrupted by a video: "Watch an ad to get your next try." The child doesn’t realize it’s an ad and quickly adopts the mechanic as part of the game. But from the advertiser’s perspective, this is exactly the kind of pseudo-engagement we aim to shield brands from in programmatic media.

The common denominator: user motivation is disconnected from the ad content itself, creating an MFA-like effect—lots of impressions, little value.

💡 What’s Next?

As with MFA websites, the solution must be comprehensive:

• App audits, similar to domain analysis. DSPs should implement filtering by genre, monetization mechanics, and user reviews.
• Transparency in the supply chain. SSPs and SDK networks must provide more context about impressions, including placement ID, interaction type, and game genre.
• Separate classification for rewarded inventory. Organizations like MRC or IAB need to define which types of rewarded impressions are acceptable for brand campaigns.

The industry has already proven it can respond to challenges. What matters now is acting quickly, before the "new MFAs" become entrenched in mobile advertising.

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