Google's fight against fraud: 5.5 billion ads stopped

Google took an impressive step in 2023 to protect its users from fraudulent ads by blocking or removing more than 5.5 billion ads. These ads have been identified as problematic for a variety of reasons, including promoting dangerous products or sexual content, as well as offers promising quick wealth or miracle cures. This approach is part of Google's overall strategy to ensure the security of its platforms and maintain user trust.

The rise of generative AI

One of the driving factors behind the rise in deceptive advertising is the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI). This technology has not only led to positive changes in the digital advertising industry, such as performance optimization and improved image editing, but also to the proliferation of so-called deepfakes. Deepfakes are manipulated photos, videos or audio files created by AI to make people do or say things they never did or said. Duncan Lennox, vice president of ad security at Google, highlighted the negative impact of this technology on the spread of deceptive ads.

AI as a double-edged sword

While AI contributes to exacerbating the problem, it also plays a crucial role in the fight against fraudulent content. According to Lennox, AI technologies are involved in 90 percent of the decisions that lead to ad blocking. These systems allow Google to detect and remove potentially harmful ads before they reach users. However, mistakes are inevitable, and Google offers advertisers and publishers the opportunity to challenge decisions. Every error found serves as a learning opportunity to further improve the accuracy of the AI ​​systems.

Comprehensive fraud prevention

Google's efforts in 2023 weren't just limited to removing ads. The company also suspended or deleted 12.7 million advertiser accounts, nearly twice as many as the previous year. This measure highlights the challenges and scale of the fight against fraudulent activities in the digital advertising market. Google does not disclose the exact number of ads served daily, but industry experts estimate that around 30 billion ads run through Google servers every day.

Questions and answers about Google and fraudulent ads:

Question 1: Why did Google block 5.5 billion ads in 2023?
Answer 1: To protect users from fraudulent advertising that promotes dangerous products, sexual content or misleading promises such as quick wealth or miracle cures.

Question 2: How does generative AI influence the spread of deceptive advertising?
Answer 2: Generative AI has made it easier to create and distribute deepfakes, thereby increasing the spread of fraudulent ads.

Question 3: How does AI help combat fraudulent advertising?
Answer 3: AI technologies play an important role in detecting and blocking fraudulent ads and contribute to the security of platforms.

Question 4: What happens if an error occurs while blocking an ad?
Answer 4: Google offers a review option and any errors found are used to further improve the AI ​​systems.

Question 5: How many ad accounts did Google block or remove in 2023?
Answer 5: Google suspended or removed 12.7 million advertiser accounts, almost twice as many as last year.

Conclusion

Google's decisive crackdown on fraudulent ads in 2023 underscores the importance of security and trust in the digital advertising industry. While generative AI serves as both a challenge and a tool in the fight against fraud, Google's comprehensive approach shows the importance of combining advanced technologies and human judgment to create a safe environment for users. Ridding the digital space of fraudulent and harmful content remains an ongoing task, and Google shows that it is ready to rise to the challenge.

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Source: derstandard

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