Google Updates Child and Teen Ad Policies for Increased Clarity and Transparency, Effective Next Month

The search giant Google has just dropped some news about tweaking their ad policies for kids and teens. It’s not about changing the rules, but more about making them easier to get. They’re doing this so brands don’t accidentally step over the line, which, let’s face it, can be pretty costly.

So, what’s changing? Starting next month, Google’s focusing on three things: the kind of ads that are okay for kids, keeping ads safe for children, and doing the same for teens. They’re basically trying to make the rules clearer so everyone’s on the same page.

Why bother, you ask? Well, it’s super important for companies to know these rules inside out. One wrong move in advertising can hit them where it hurts – their wallets. By being clear about what’s okay and what’s not, Google’s helping these companies avoid some serious headaches (and fines).

Here’s the breakdown: For the ‘Ads & made for kids content’, Google’s sorting out the wording to make it fit better with their child safety rules. For children’s ad protections, there’s a new article popping up in the Google Ads help center to make things simpler to find and understand. And for teens, it’s all about making the language clearer and more in line with their other rules.

Why now, though? A while back, Adalytics did a study and called Google out for tracking kids for ads, which is a big no-no under COPPA. Google was like, “Nope, we didn’t do anything wrong,” saying the whole thing was a mix-up about how brands use PMax. But, it looks like they took the feedback to heart and are now making sure everyone’s crystal clear on what’s cool and what’s not when it comes to advertising to the younger crowd.