Google Blocks 8.3 Billion Ads in 2025 Amid Rising Scam Attempts

Google blocked or removed more than 8.3 billion ads in 2025. Among these, 602 million ads were identified with policy violations related to scams, leading to the suspension of over 4 million advertiser accounts for scam-related activity, according to the report. The report acknowledged that scammers are increasingly attempting to run sophisticated and malicious ads.

Google attributes much of its success in combating these ads to its generative AI technology known as Gemini, which caught over 99% of policy-violating ads before they reached an audience in 2025. A Google executive stated that advancements in generative AI within Google's defense systems have produced more powerful results in combating problematic content.

Gemini enables Google's team to analyze hundreds of billions of signals, including account age, behavioral cues, and campaign patterns. Gemini has also helped with speed, analyzing the digital assets in an ad in milliseconds.

Google employs a team of thousands dedicated to creating and enforcing advertising policies and relies on an expansive advertiser verification program as part of its defense mechanisms. Nate Elliott, principal analyst at Emarketer, described the issue of online spam and scam advertisements as an "old problem, supercharged" by the speed and scale AI offers both legitimate and malicious actors.

He noted that bad ads include all forms of spam and scams produced faster and at higher volume with AI.

The accessibility of generative AI tools has increased the prevalence of online spam and scams, including ads for herbal remedies and videos with voices resembling movie stars. Emarketer data cited in the report showed that Google generated more than $200 billion in net worldwide ad revenues in 2025. However, Emarketer predicts that Meta will outperform Google in ad revenues in 2026.

“It's not that this is a new problem. It is an old problem, supercharged.”

“— Nate Elliott, principal analyst at Emarketer”

“The speed improvement allows us to stop things right at the front door.”

“— Keerat Sharma, Google's vice president and general manager of ads privacy and safety”

“The volume of this problem is so large that it can’t be managed directly through humans.”

“— An expert from the University of Wisconsin-Madison”