Google announces update to child and teen ad policy language

Google is updating the language in some child and teen ads policies next month, including:

• Ads & made for kids content.
• Ad-serving protections for children.
• Ad-serving protection for teens.

The search engine explained that while there are no enforcement changes, it is tweaking policy language to provide more clarity and transparency for brands and advertisers.

Why we care. Enhancing clarity in advertising policies is crucial for brands to avoid inadvertent violations of rules and regulations. This is particularly important, as breaching these regulations can lead to substantial financial penalties. By clearly understanding and adhering to advertising guidelines, brands can protect themselves from potential legal and financial consequences.

Ads & made for kids content. Google is reorganizing and clarifying the language in the restricted categories and prohibited content section to align with its Ad-serving protections for children policy.

Ad-serving protections for children. Google is incorporating a new article into the Google Ads help center to make it easier to find and understand its existing protections for children when displaying ads.

Ad-serving protection for teens. Google is revising the language for clarity and for better consistency with its other policies.

Why now? Following an Adalytics study in August accusing Google of improperly tracking children for targeted advertising, the search engine is taking steps to offer more clarity on its child and teen ads policies. The research suggested that brands using the PMax product may have unintentionally violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Despite the allegations, Google denied any wrongdoing, attributing the concerns to “confusion about brand safety controls and reporting supported in PMax” – an issues it appears to now be addressing.

Deep dive. Read our report on concerns around PMax ads inadvertently violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act for more information.