Google Blocks Over 39 million Advertiser Accounts in 2024 to Curb Harmful Ads
Google announced on Wednesday that it suspended more than 39.2 million advertiser accounts in 2024, with most being intercepted by its systems before harmful ads could reach users.
In total, the company reported blocking 5.1 billion malicious ads, restricting 9.1 billion, and taking action either blocking or restricting ads on 1.3 billion web pages last year. Over 5 million advertiser accounts were also suspended for violating scam-related policies.
The six most common ad policy violations included:
- Ad network abuse (793.1 million)
- Trademark misuse (503.1 million)
- Inappropriate personalized ads (491.3 million)
- Breaches of legal requirements (280.3 million)
- Violations involving financial services (193.7 million)
- Misrepresentation (146.9 million)
Most of the restricted or blocked pages were linked to issues such as sexually explicit material, malware, derogatory or shocking content, weapon promotion, gambling, tobacco and alcohol abuse, and intellectual property violations.
Google credited its use of AI-powered tools in swiftly detecting threats and evolving abuse patterns, especially by flagging signs like fake business identities and suspicious payment methods as early indicators of fraud.
The company highlighted its battle against AI-generated deepfake scams used to impersonate public figures. Over 700,000 accounts were suspended specifically for this offense, contributing to a broader campaign that blocked or removed 415 million scam-related ads and suspended more than 5 million accounts.
Google also expanded its Advertiser Identity Verification program to over 200 countries and territories, aiming to boost transparency. This move included enforcing new rules around AI-generated election content, resulting in the verification of more than 8,900 election advertisers and the removal of over 10.7 million election ads from unverified sources in 2024.
The company emphasized that ad safety is a moving target, driven by advances in technology, evolving fraud tactics, and global events, calling for constant vigilance and adaptability in the industry.
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