Google reported that it blocked a record 8.3 billion ads globally in 2025, significantly up from 5.1 billion in 2024. However, the number of suspended advertiser accounts did not increase proportionally, raising concerns about the company’s enforcement effectiveness.
The discrepancy arises from Google’s increased reliance on AI, specifically its Gemini models, which enhance the detection and blocking of policy-violating advertisements. These AI systems identified over 99% of such ads before they were displayed to users in 2025, indicating a shift towards blocking individual ads rather than a higher volume of suspensions.
The surge in blocked ads has been partially attributed to the rising use of generative AI by scammers, allowing for the creation of deceptive content at scale. Google’s Gemini models are pivotal in recognizing patterns in these large campaigns, enabling earlier intervention.
Google aims to integrate its Gemini models more extensively into its core products and infrastructure, especially in advertising. This initiative seeks to automate campaign creation, detect policy violations, and respond dynamically to emerging threats.
Among the ads blocked and accounts suspended, 602 million ads and 4 million accounts were associated with scams. In the U.S., Google removed over 1.7 billion ads and suspended 3.3 million advertiser accounts, with common violations identified as ad network abuse, misrepresentation, and sexual content. In India, Google processed 483.7 million blocked ads, nearly double the previous year’s figure, while account suspensions decreased from 2.9 million to 1.7 million, primarily related to trademarks, financial services, and copyright issues.
Keerat Sharma, VP and general manager of ads privacy and safety at Google, indicated that the company is focusing on targeted, AI-driven enforcement at a more granular level, moving away from broader measures like account suspensions. This refined approach has reportedly helped decrease incorrect suspensions by 80% year over year.
Sharma noted that Google’s layered defenses, which include verifying advertisers’ identities before they can run ads, contribute to the reduction in account suspensions. He cautioned that these numbers may vary as Google implements new measures and as bad actors evolve, with an ongoing goal to intercept harmful ads early in the process.
