Google changes advertiser policies and requires identity verification

SÃO PAULO – Google announced last Thursday (23) that it will require all its advertisers to verify their identities and their country of origin to link ads on the platform. According to the company, the obligation takes effect from June and aims to make the website’s advertising more transparent.

The new rule extends a previously reserved policy for political announcements and occurs when various other web platforms attempt to contain fraud and false information about the new coronavirus pandemic.

Before displaying their advertising on Google, advertisers must provide personal identification and commercial incorporation documents or any other documentation that shows their identity and country of origin of the operation. Users can view the identity by clicking the “about advertiser” option next to the ad in question.

“This change will make it easier for people to understand who the advertiser behind the ads they see on Google is and will help them make more informed decisions when using our advertising controls. It will also help support the health of the digital advertising ecosystem by spotting bad actors and limiting your attempts to fake them themselves, “writes John Canfield, director of product management, in a blog post on Google.

Advertiser verification

Identity verification started only for political ads in 2018, but it probably won’t launch for all types of ads for some time. Canfield says the process is likely to take “a few years” to complete and complete.

According to the director, Google is prioritizing advertisers who sell products and services or promote informative or educational content. Individuals and companies will have one month to complete the verification after Google notifies them; otherwise, your ads will no longer run on the search engine.

Google already requires some companies to demonstrate that they have professional certifications, but it has not required advertisers to demonstrate their identities on a large scale until now.

As the Wall Street Journal reported last year, the company was riddled with bogus business listings in the Google Maps, despite efforts to verify companies with methods such as sending postcards. The company has also previously banned ads in certain categories, such as rehab centers, for example.