Google blocked ads up by 50% in 2015

Arvind Hickman
By Arvind Hickman | 22 January 2016
 

The number of ads Google has blocked has risen by nearly 50% to 780 million in the past year.

These are ads that contain malware, are intentionally misleading or affect the user experience, Google's senior VP of ads and commerce Sridhar Ramaswamy says in a blog.

Among the culprits are 12.5 million pharmaceutical ads (up from 9.6 million in 2014) that violate Google policies on misleading claims.

In 2015, there were 10,000 sites blocked that sell counterfeit goods and 30,000 sites barred that promote weight loss scams.

Nearly 7000 phishing sites were blocked, 17 million clickbait ads removed and more than 10,000 sites offering 'unwanted software' binned.

On mobile devices, more than 25,000 in-app ads were removed because developers did not follow Google's rules, including irritating ads placed too close to buttons.

"In 2016, we’re planning updates like further restricting what can be advertised as effective for weight loss and adding new protections against malware and bots,” Ramaswamy warns.

Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au

Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.

Read more about these related brands, agencies and people

comments powered by Disqus