Google removed 8.3 billion ads in 2025, with AI powered tools stopping more than 99% before they were seen.
Google's 2025 Ad Safety Report identified sexual content as the primarily source of violation with more than 409 million publisher policy violations.
Second was dangerous and derogatory violations at more than 20.5 million, shocking content at third with 15 million, Weapons promotion and sales at 12.8 million, online gambling at more than 9.7 million, alcohol at over 5 million and tobacco at more than 5 million violations.
“One of the key trends we have been combating is bad actors using generative AI to automate deceptive content at scale,” said Keerat Sharma, VP & general manager, Ads privacy and safety at Google.
Specific to Australia, 438.6 million ads were removed and 594,000 accounts suspended over 2025, with the top advertising policy violation domestically also identified as sexual content.
Next was dating and companionship, abusing the Ad network, inappropriate content and misrepresentation.
“Gemini allows our defences to detect and combat, and to better understand adversarial networks and risks across these deceptive campaigns,” said Sharma.
"Our latest models are better at identifying the underlying patterns of these automated attacks, allowing us to neutralise them even as they grow in complexity and volume."
Google has reduced its incorrect advertising suspensions by 80%, enabled by its AI investments, with overall blocked or removed scam ads at over 602 million globally in 2025
“It's important in an environment like this, where scammers are adapting quickly, to have a defensive strategy that is layered and not reliant on one silver bullet,” said Sharma.
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