Google is launching a new Ad Transparency Center that allows users to search for verified advertisers and their campaigns across all of the company’s platforms, including Search, Display, and YouTube.
This new Transparency Center, which can be accessed directly from this link and from the My Ad Center page, allows you to search for ads from a brand, the region in which those ads appeared and when they last ran a campaign, along with the format . Users can like or block the ad or even report it for violating Google’s advertising policies if those ads contain dangerous products or inappropriate content, for example. The Center is rolling out today and will be available to all users in the coming weeks.
Notably, Google launched the My Ad Center hub last year, which lets users see information about ad topics, brands, and the recent ads they’ve seen on Search, YouTube, and Discover. Users can adjust these settings by removing topics or brands or turning off personalized ads altogether. It’s important to remember that this doesn’t mean you won’t see ads. It’s just not based on your preferences and search data.
Google said post-launch, 20% of the 70 million visits to the My Ad Center page were to adjust ad preferences. Considering that billions of people use Google’s platforms, this number doesn’t seem that impressive.
The Mountain View-based company said it is introducing this new Transparency Center so customers can learn more about unknown brands and check whether they’ve been verified by Google.
Image Credits: Google
“We are committed to protecting our users by creating a safer, more reliable and responsible advertising experience. With the Ads Transparency Center, you’ll never be in the dark about the ads you see on Google,” Alejandro Borgia, director of product management for Ads Safety, said in a statement.
Google has attempted to provide more data on brand advertising through the company’s platform.
Last September, Google began giving users access to an advertiser’s history. A month later, the tech giant updated its “Ad” tag to “Sponsored” on mobile search for better visibility. In addition, it moved the tag above the URL instead of displaying it next to the link address.
The search giant has also launched an ad safety report highlighting its efforts to thwart malicious ads. The company said it has blocked or removed 5.2 billion ads, restricted more than 4.3 billion ads and suspended 6.7 million advertiser accounts.
Google noted that last year it expanded its financial services certification program to 11 countries, including the UK, Australia and Singapore. This project, aimed at stopping financial fraud, requires advertisers to demonstrate that they have permission from local authorities to promote their products and services. Google mentioned that it has updated or introduced 29 ad-related policies in the past year to protect consumers.
The company’s advertising business, its largest source of revenue, is under scrutiny in the US In January, the Justice Department accused Google of abusing its monopolistic position in the advertising market. Eight states, including New York and California, joined the DoJ in a complaint seeking to “end Google’s anti-competitive plan, reduce Google’s monopolistic hold on the market, and eliminate competition for digital advertising.” to recover”. Earlier this week Alphabet, Google’s parent company, asked a federal judge to dismiss the case.