Google will soon require all advertisers to verify identities , the company announced Thursday. The change, which includes identity verification, aims to prevent advertisers from misrepresenting themselves while also giving consumers the ability to see who is running ads and what country they are in. Consumers are increasingly seeing ads for products from dubious advertisers, who often take advantage of situations that affect global public opinion. For example, as the pandemic continues to spread across more countries, many are promoting fake medicines and vaccines that claim to treat or prevent the virus. Fake businesses have also been an issue. Existing advertisers will have 30 days from the time they receive a notification to complete the verification, as the company gradually rolls out the change. If advertisers have not submitted the relevant documents by the deadline, Google will suspend account , upon warning, as well as the advertiser's ability to serve ads until they provide the required documents.
The company said consumers will start seeing information about advertisers this summer when they click on “Why this ad?” Google will start by verifying advertisers in the U.S. and expand the process globally, predicting it will take a few years to complete.
Google began requiring political advertisers to verify their identity in 2018 before running election ads. John Canfield, Google’s director of product management for ad integrity, said the change will make it easier for consumers to understand who the advertiser is behind the ads they see on Google and help them make more informed decisions when using ad controls. He added that the change will also help support the health of the digital advertising ecosystem by identifying malicious actors and limiting their attempts to present a false identity.
Once the required documents are submitted, advertisers must complete an account verification to confirm that they are legitimate. Organizations are required to submit personal legal information (such as a W9 or IRS document showing the name, address, and employer identification number). An individual from an organization must also provide legal identification on behalf of the organization. Individuals must present a government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or ID card. Google said it previously collected basic information about advertisers, but did not require identity verification. All advertisers on Google platforms will be required to complete this process, while advertising agencies will be required to complete verification for each of their advertising clients.
