Ending online piracy is a crucial component of keeping seniors safe, and encouraging creativity, innovation, investment and jobs.

(Alexandria, Virginia) — The 60 Plus Association, the nation’s largest center-right seniors organization, with over 7.2 million national supporters, today issued a statement applauding GroupM, the leading global media investment management company investing $106 billion on behalf of advertisers, for their commitment to implementing new guidelines requiring that all of their media partners receive anti-piracy certification from the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG). TAG is a voluntary initiative by the advertising industry to help advertisers keep good ads off bad websites dedicated to theft and other unsavory activities such as fraud, counterfeiting, and identity theft.

Currently, selling advertising generates hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue for operators of illegal sites, providing an incentive to steal and a financial windfall for criminals. TAG will give respected brands some assurance that their goods and services will only be associated with appropriate content, while at the same time depriving illegal websites of the air of legitimacy conferred by having respected brands appear in conjunction with their stolen wares.

“Pirated content is a threat to everyone, and frequently leaves unsuspecting seniors vulnerable to additional attacks such as identity theft, and financial fraud. TAG is a critical step in protecting seniors, as it will help choke off the financial resources that support piracy” said 60 Plus Vice-President Matthew Kandrach. “This is great news that provides an important layer of protection for our seniors as they increasingly move online.”

“To defend seniors and their families from exposure to malware, fraud, theft and deception, it is important that good faith actors in the online ecosystem work together to make the Internet safe for everyone. The TAG initiative and GroupM’s leadership are a game changer for those seeking to end piracy and create a safe and innovative digital environment.”