Google on Thursday announced that it will require any advertiser to go through an identity verification before they can post ads on any of the company’s platforms.
The tech giant announced a political advertising identity verification policy in 2018, but the process will extend to all advertisers hoping to place ads on Google, YouTube, and more.
Advertisers will have to submit personal identification, business incorporation documents, and other information to prove to Google who they are and where they operate, the tech giant said.
Users will be able to see the information “beginning this summer” if they click on a button that says “why this ad?” on the page.
Google said the change should help with stopping “bad actors” and those who “misrepresent themselves” trying to advertise on the platforms.
“This change will make it easier for people to understand who the advertiser is behind the ads they see from Google and help them make more informed decisions when using our advertising controls,” John Canfield, Google’s ads integrity director wrote in a blog post explaining the upcoming change. “It will also help support the health of the digital advertising ecosystem by detecting bad actors and limiting their attempts to misrepresent themselves.”
The changes will start in the United States but then expand globally.
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