Google announced today that they will start to require identify verification from advertisers.
They will start rolling this out in the U.S. first, followed by a global rollout. The total time for this process is expected to be a couple of years.
This will apply to Search, Display, and YouTube respectively.
Today’s announcement ties into their 2018 policy, requiring identification for political advertisements.
New Verification Requirements for Google Advertisers
The new verification program will include:- Business incorporation documents
- Personal identification documents
- Operating geography
- Other items TBD
Advertisers will have 30 days to submit the requested verification, upon receiving notice. Google has stated it will take 3-5 days to verify.
If an advertiser fails to submit verification, their ads will be stopped.
Who Is Included
Some industries will be prioritized is a phased roll-out, and will receive notification when they are required to verify their accounts.
The disclosures will need to show the legal/trademarked name of the advertiser, not the entity who is managing the ad account.
For REW clients who are using REW PPC services, as a Google Partner, REW will still be able to submit ads on your behalf.
Why is Google Doing This?
For transparency, and protection of users.
Users will be able to see disclosures about ads and the identity of the user.
They will be able to see this under the “Why this Ad?” option, that is currently available.
“At Google, our goal is to make more information about the ad experience universally available and accessible. Broadening our verification policy is the next step in reaching that goal. We’ll continue to look for additional ways to increase transparency in ads for our users.”
Read more about this update on the Google Ads Blog.