Google Ads to End Ad Targeting Based On Age, Gender Or Interests of Minors

With the internet and social media becoming more and more a part of kids’ lives every day, Google Ads is taking steps to ensure minors aren’t being targeted with ads that aren’t appropriate for their age group.

In the next few months, Google Ads will “be expanding safeguards to prevent age-sensitive ad categories from being shown to teens.” This means advertisers will be blocked from using ad targeting based on the age, gender, or interests of people under 18.

Along with expanding its advertising safeguards , Google is also updating its policies for minors using the search engine.

Here’s What to Expect in the Coming Months

Removing Images From Search For Minors

While Google won’t be removing age-inappropriate images from search altogether, this new function will prevent them from showing up in image search results.

“Children are at particular risk when it comes to controlling their imagery on the internet. In the coming weeks, we’ll introduce a new policy that enables anyone under the age of 18, or their parent or guardian, to request the removal of their images from Google Image results,” said Mindy Brooks, product and UX director for kids and families at Google, in a recent blog post.

Altering Product Experiences For Minors in YouTube and Google Search

The default upload mode in YouTube will be automatically set to private for kids aged 13-17. SafeSearch will also automatically kick in for anyone under the age of 18, and minors will also not be able to turn on their location history.

This a great step in the right direction for Google, as kids are inevitably spending more time online due to online studies and pandemic lockdown measures.

But what does all this mean for advertisers? Fortunately, most advertisers will not be affected too substantially. However, some advertisers may see some changes when it comes to ad metrics if certain audiences are removed from their targeting.

#Googleads #Googlesafeguards #googlesearch