ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Enabling dishonest behavior
Google disapproves ads for products and services that help someone mislead others, gain unauthorized access, or track people without permission. Fake documents, essay generators, fake clicks and reviews, hacking tools and covert GPS or spyware are named. Private investigation services and products for parents monitoring underage children are exempt. Remove the ad, or change what it promotes.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, as Disapproved under this policy.
- What stops
- The flagged ad or asset stops serving.
- How serious
- Warning first. Google says it issues a warning at least 7 days before any account suspension.
What it means
The policy is about what a product is for, not whether the advertiser is honest. It covers products that help a person mislead others, gain access they lack, or track someone without permission. The examples are concrete: fake passports and diplomas, drug test aids, essay or thesis generators, and services that sell fake clicks, reviews or social endorsements.
Two examples surprise owners. A VPN marketed to get around geo-restrictions falls under the policy, and so does tracking software marketed for covert use. The page's two exemptions are private investigation services and products that let parents monitor their underage children.
What actually triggers it
Fake clicks, reviews or endorsements
Services that sell fake clicks, fake reviews or fake social media endorsements are named under misleading others. A marketing service that offers any of them falls under this policy.
A VPN marketed for geo-restrictions
Google names VPNs marketed to get around geo-restrictions as products that enable dishonest behavior. The VPN ad's own promotion decides it, so check the wording first.
Covert tracking and spyware
GPS trackers marketed for covert tracking, and spyware for reading a partner's texts, calls or browsing, are named. The parental exemption covers products for parents monitoring underage children, and the page does not extend it to other covert tracking.
Hacking services, cable theft and radar jammers
Under unauthorized access, Google names hacking services including game enhancements and cheat software, stealing cable, radar jammers, changing traffic signals, and phone or wire-tapping.
Cameras and recorders sold for spying
Surveillance equipment such as cameras, audio recorders, dash cams and nanny cams is named when it is marketed specifically for spying. The same camera sold for home security is not described as covered, so the wording of the ad decides it.
Fix it in this order
- Open Ads & assets from the Campaigns menu, and list each ad or asset that shows this policy.
- For each product, decide whether it helps someone mislead another person, gain access they lack, or track someone without permission.
- If a private investigation service or a parental monitoring product is involved, keep it only where it fits the exemption the page describes.
- Hover over the ad or asset, select Edit, remove the named product or promotion, and select Save. Remove the ad if it cannot be made compliant.
Google re-reviews the edited ad, typically within 24 to 48 hours. The result shows in the Status column.
When to appeal
Appeal when the product is outside the named examples, or when it fits one of the two exemptions. Google says to appeal from the account if you believe there was an error.
Do not appeal a product that is a named example. The page's answer for that case is to remove the ad.
Often confused with
An account-level suspension about getting around Google's review, such as a new account after a suspension. This policy is about the product. A disapproval here leaves the account running, while a circumventing suspension stops every campaign in it.