Google Suspends 39 million Advertiser Accounts, Blocks Harmful Ads

In its 2024 Ads Safety Report, the tech giant said this action was made possible through the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Google’s 2024 Ads Safety Report offers a glimpse into the systems that help keep billions of people safe online—many without ever realizing it. But for those who run small businesses, browse the web, or build tools and content that power Africa’s digital economy, safety is not just technical—it’s foundational.

In the report, Google said about 5.1 billion ads were blocked or removed in the period under review, while over 9.1 billion malicious ads were restricted.

It stated that AI has been helping to transform the fight against bad ads, scams, and misinformation online, particularly as they grow more sophisticated, often impersonating public figures or deploying AI-generated content.

While challenges persist, the report emphasizes that AI is improving both the speed and scale of enforcement—and freeing up human reviewers to focus on the most complex, high-impact investigations.

Google also continues to work closely with regulators, consumer protection agencies, and industry peers, including through the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, to stay ahead of evolving threats.

“We launched over 50 enhancements to our AI models in 2024,” said Alex Rodriguez, General Manager for Ads Safety at Google. “These improvements helped us move faster, identify threats earlier, and take action before bad actors could reach users. That’s the real power of AI—making the internet safer not just reactively, but proactively.”

Last year, because of a rising threat in public figure impersonation scams and misleading election ads, especially in Nigeria, Google updated its Misrepresentation policy, assembled a global team of over 100 experts, and took down over 700,000 scam-related advertiser accounts—contributing to a 90 per cent drop in reported impersonation scams.

With nearly half the world’s population heading to the polls in 2024, Google also expanded election ad transparency, requiring all political advertisers to verify their identities and clearly disclose who’s paying for the message. More than 10 million election-related ads were removed globally for failing to meet these standards.

While these are global figures, their local impact is deeply personal. From the business owner trying to reach new customers online to the everyday user trying to avoid a phishing scam, online safety remains essential for an open, trustworthy web.

In Nigeria and across the continent, safe advertising also helps protect livelihoods—ensuring that small businesses, creators, and publishers can continue to benefit from a free and accessible internet.