Google bans ads for products that let people secretly spy on their intimate partners

Google has given an exception to private investigation services and products or services designed for parents to track or monitor their underage children from its upcoming stringent guidelines for ads.

Strengthening its platforms for fair use of data and user privacy, Google is set to announce a major overhaul of its ad policy starting next month. In a blog post, Google has said that the changes specifically framed to put restrictions on advertisements promoting surveillance technologies that let people secretly spy on their intimate partners will be made into the Enabling Dishonest Behavior policy on August 11.

“The updated policy will prohibit the promotion of products or services that are marketed or targeted with the express purpose of tracking or monitoring another person or their activities without their authorization.”, the Alphabet-owned company said in its blog. Google said the updated policies will be applicable globally as soon as it will be brought into effect starting August 11.

Google has listed out clear guidelines on the nature of products that will receive prohibition from getting featured on its platforms after the updated Enabling Dishonest Behavior policy comes into effect. It has said that all spyware/malware that are generally used to keep a track of users’ texts, phone calls, or browsing history along with products designed to track users’ locations by GPS trackers specifically designed to spy or track any user without their consent.

Additionally, ads related to equipment designed for surveillance purposes such as cameras, audio recorders, dash cams will also be prohibited post-August 11, Google has said in its blog post.

Google has given an exception to private investigation services and products or services designed for parents to track or monitor their underage children from its upcoming stringent guidelines for ads.

The California-headquartered company has said that the violations of the norms will attract a warning from Google’s regulation team at least 7 days prior to their account suspension. Google has asked businesses on its platform to assess if their ads are falling under the category of ads that are to be banned and to remove those ads before the new policy kicks in.