Folks, some BIG news!
Last month we reported that Google was helping scammers swindle people with fake Shark Tank diet pills — and making money while doing it.
The report was picked up by Mashable, with Google telling them, “We do not allow ads on our platform that scam users, make misleading statements, or imply a false affiliation or endorsement,” despite us finding concrete evidence that Google DOES allow those ads. And it seemingly took no action on the policy-violating advertisers and ads we reported.
That’s no longer the case. We’re thrilled to see that Google has taken action against scammers and updated its ad policies.
As recently as last month, we were able to fine dozens of ads hawking keto gummies supposedly endorsed by Shark Tank. Now the same search terms we used return none at all.
And a new update to Google’s policies reads: “In March 2024, Google Ads will update the Unacceptable business practices portion of the Misrepresentation policy to include enticing users to part with money or information by impersonating or falsely implying affiliation with or endorsement by a public figure, brand, or organization.”
Make no mistake, this is a win for everyone who uses Google by making it less likely they’ll tricked by scam ads while the search giant profits. As Nandini told Mashable: “We can do a little happy dance today knowing our pressure led to this significant change in policy and enforcement from the world’s largest advertising corporation.”