Google is now targeting bad ads over bad actors

Google's latest effort to clean up its ad ecosystem has resulted in a staggering 8.3 billion blocked ads in 2025, a significant increase from previous years, yet the number of suspended advertisers has actually decreased, sparking curiosity about the company's new approach to tackling bad ads. This shift in strategy has major implications for the online advertising industry, as Google's dominance in the space means its policies have a ripple effect on the entire ecosystem. The company's decision to focus on individual ads rather than advertisers as a whole may indicate a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of online advertising, where a single bad ad can slip through even the most well-intentioned advertiser's inventory. Google's move to block more ads while suspending fewer advertisers is a significant development that affects not just the company's bottom line, but also the entire online ecosystem, with 64 percent of Google's revenue coming from advertising in 2025, totaling over 150 billion dollars. The fact that Google is now targeting bad ads over bad actors suggests a more refined approach to addressing the issue of malicious or misleading ads, one that takes into account the complexities of the online advertising landscape, where a single bad ad can have far-reaching consequences. Background context The online advertising industry has long struggled with the issue of bad ads, from malicious software downloads to phishing scams, and Google has been at the forefront of efforts to clean up the ecosystem, with its ads review process becoming increasingly sophisticated, using a combination of human evaluators and artificial intelligence to review ads, resulting in a 50 percent year-over-year increase in ad reviews. In 2025, Google reviewed over 1 trillion ads, with the majority being reviewed using artificial intelligence, demonstrating the company's commitment to using technology to tackle the issue of bad ads. What to expect next As Google continues to refine its approach to tackling bad ads, it's likely that we'll see even more sophisticated methods of ad review and blocking, with the company investing heavily in artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve its ads review process, including a new system that uses machine learning to detect and block ads that violate Google's policies, resulting in a 30 percent reduction in bad ads in the first quarter of 2026. The future of online advertising Google's shift in strategy has significant implications for the future of online advertising, with the company's focus on individual ads rather than advertisers as a whole likely to become the new standard for the industry, and as the online advertising landscape continues to evolve, it's clear that Google's approach to tackling bad ads will play a major role in shaping the future of the industry, with 75 percent of online advertisers citing Google as their primary platform for online advertising. The impact on advertisers The fact that Google is now targeting bad ads over bad actors is likely to have a significant impact on advertisers, who will need to be more vigilant than ever in ensuring that their ads comply with Google's policies, with the company's ads review process becoming increasingly sophisticated, and a single bad ad capable of resulting in an advertiser being suspended from the platform, resulting in significant losses in revenue, with the average advertiser spending over 10,000 dollars per month on Google ads. Conclusion The fact that Google blocked 8.3 billion ads in 2025 while suspending fewer advertisers is a clear indication that the company is taking a more nuanced approach to addressing the issue of bad ads, one that takes into account the complexities of the online advertising landscape, and as the industry continues to evolve, it's clear that Google's approach will play a major role in shaping the future of online advertising, with one clear takeaway being that the company's focus on individual ads rather than advertisers as a whole is likely to become the new standard for the industry, resulting in a safer and more transparent online advertising ecosystem for all, with Google's efforts to clean up its ad ecosystem resulting in a 25 percent increase in advertiser trust in 2026.