Combating false information with crowdsourcing

A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform a process comprising:

• storing a plurality of impression attestation tokens for a plurality of presentations of a digital component;
• storing a plurality of click attestation tokens that each correspond to a particular impression attestation token among the plurality of impression attestation tokens;
• comparing presentation data and interaction data of a false digital component alert with the plurality of impression attestation tokens and the plurality of click attestation tokens;
• determining, based on the comparing, that the false digital component alert includes (i) a particular impression attestation token from among the stored plurality of impression attestation tokens and (ii) a corresponding particular click attestation token from among the stored plurality of click attestation tokens;
• validating the false digital component alert by verifying a digital signature included in the particular impression attestation token using a public key associated with a client device or browser that generated the particular impression attestation token, wherein the validating is based on the determination that the false digital component alert includes the particular impression attestation token and the corresponding particular click attestation token;
• in response to validating the false digital component alert, adding the false digital component alert to an aggregated report for the digital component;
• determining that a magnitude of validated false digital component alerts in the aggregated report for the digital component meets a threshold;
• and
• adjusting distribution of the digital component to client devices based on the magnitude of the validated false digital component alerts meeting the threshold.

A system comprising:

• a client device;
• and
• one or more servers configured and operable to interact with the device and to perform the operations comprising:
• storing a plurality of impression attestation tokens for a plurality of presentations of a digital component;
• storing a plurality of click attestation tokens that each correspond to a particular impression attestation token among the plurality of impression attestation tokens;
• comparing presentation data and interaction data of a false digital component alert with the plurality of impression attestation tokens and the plurality of click attestation tokens;
• determining, based on the comparing, that the false digital component alert includes (i) a particular impression attestation token from among the stored plurality of impression attestation tokens and (ii) a corresponding particular click attestation token from among the stored plurality of click attestation tokens;
• validating the false digital component alert by verifying a digital signature included in the particular impression attestation token using a public key associated with a client device or browser that generated the particular impression attestation token, wherein the validating is based on the determination that the false digital component alert includes the particular impression attestation token and the corresponding particular click attestation token;
• in response to validating the false digital component alert, adding the false digital component alert to an aggregated report for the digital component;
• determining that a magnitude of validated false digital component alerts in the aggregated report for the digital component meets a threshold;
• and
• adjusting distribution of the digital component to client devices based on the magnitude of the validated false digital component alerts meeting the threshold.