Tag: actors

Google reported on Thursday that it thwarted a record 8.3 billion ads globally in 2025, a significant increase from the 5.1 billion blocked the previous year. Despite this surge, the number of advertiser accounts suspended was relatively low, sparking questions about the platform's enforcement methods. This discrepancy was attributed to Google's enhanced use of AI, particularly its Gemini models, which enable the detection and prevention of policy-violating ads with greater accuracy and efficiency. The company stated that its AI-powered systems intercepted over 99% of such ads before they could be displayed to users. These statistics, extracted from Google's 2025 Ads Safety Report, signify a shift in enforcement strategies. While the blocking of problematic ads has intensified, the suspension of advertiser accounts has decreased, indicating a move towards a more nuanced approach of addressing individual ads rather than banning entire accounts outright. Google highlighted the escalating use of generative AI by scammers to create deceptive content at scale, emphasizing the role of its Gemini models in identifying patterns across extensive campaigns and preemptively blocking them. This transition aligns with Google's broader initiative to embed its Gemini models more deeply into core products and infrastructure, leveraging AI to automate campaign creation, identify policy violations, and respond promptly to emerging threats, particularly in the advertising domain. Image Credits:Jagmeet Singh / DailyTech Among the blocked ads and suspended accounts, Google identified 602 million ads and 4 million advertiser accounts associated with scams. In the U.S., Google removed over 1.7 billion ads and suspended 3.3 million advertiser accounts in 2025, with prevalent violations including ad network abuse, misrepresentation, and inappropriate content. In India, Google's largest market, the company blocked 483.7 million ads — nearly double the previous year — while reducing account suspensions to 1.7 million from 2.9 million, with issues related to trademarks, financial services, and copyright infringement ranking high among violations. Techcrunch event San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 During a virtual briefing, Keerat Sharma, VP and general manager of ads privacy and safety at Google, emphasized the company's shift towards targeted, AI-driven enforcement at a more granular level, focusing on individual ad creatives rather than resorting to broad advertiser suspensions. This approach has reportedly led to an 80% reduction in incorrect suspensions year over year. Google's multi-layered defense mechanisms, including advertiser verification processes that mandate businesses to verify their identity before running ads, are implemented to deter malicious entities from creating accounts, thereby contributing to the decline in suspensions. Sharma acknowledged that the numbers are subject to fluctuations as Google introduces new defense mechanisms and as bad actors adapt their strategies. The company's ultimate goal is to intercept harmful ads as early as possible in the pipeline.

Tag: actors

Google is now targeting bad ads over bad actors

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