No fewer than 5.1 billion adverts were blocked Google platform in 2024 as another 9.1 billion were restricted while over 39 million advertiser accounts were suspended. This was revealed in the Google 2024 Ads Safety Reports, released yesterday.

According to the report, it was easy for Google to take such action with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The report showed how advanced artificial intelligence is transforming the fight against bad ads, scams, and misinformation online. As scams grow more sophisticated, often impersonating public figures or deploying AI-generated content, new tools are helping stop harmful ads before they ever reach people.

The progress reflected how AI models, powered by Gemini, were enabling faster and smarter detection of fraud signals such as stolen payment methods, fake business identities, or coordinated scam networks. This shift toward proactive prevention comes at a critical time.

Across Africa and beyond, users are navigating a rapidly evolving digital environment, where trust, safety, and transparency matter more than ever. In Nigeria, public figure impersonation scams and misleading election ads have become familiar threats.

“That’s why in 2024, Google updated its Misrepresentation policy, assembled a global team of over 100 experts, and took down over 700,000 scam-related advertiser accounts—contributing to a 90 per cent drop in reported impersonation scams,” General Manager for Ads Safety at Google, Alex Rodriguez, said.

According to him, with nearly half the world’s population heading to the polls in 2024, Google also expanded election ad transparency, requiring all political advertisers to verify their identities and clearly disclose who’s paying for the message.