In 2024 alone, Google says it blocked or removed 5.1 billion ads, restricted 9.1 billion more and suspended over 39 million advertiser accounts — most before a single ad was served. This progress reflects how AI models, powered by Gemini, are enabling faster and smarter detection of fraud signals such as stolen payment methods, fake business identities, or coordinated scam networks.
This shift towards 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 South Africa, the persistence of fake news online has raised concerns around the spread of misinformation. That's why in 2024, Google says it 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% drop in reported impersonation scams.
With nearly half the world's population heading to the polls in 2024, Google says it also expanded election ad transparency, requiring all political advertisers to verify their identities and clearly disclose who's paying for the message. More than 10 million election-related ads were removed globally for failing to meet these standards.
While these are global figures, their local impact is deeply personal. From the business owner trying to reach new customers online to the everyday user trying to avoid a phishing scam, online safety remains essential for an open, trustworthy web. Across the continent, safe advertising also helps protect livelihoods, ensuring that small businesses, creators and publishers can continue to benefit from a free and accessible internet, adds the brand.
"We launched over 50 enhancements to our AI models in 2024," says Alex Rodriguez, General Manager for Ads Safety at Google. "These improvements helped us move faster, identify threats earlier and take action before bad actors could reach users. That's the real power of AI — making the internet safer not just reactively, but proactively."
While challenges persist, the report emphasises that AI is improving both the speed and scale of enforcement and frees up human reviewers to focus on the most complex, high-impact investigations. Google says it also continues to work closely with regulators, consumer protection agencies and industry peers, including through the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, to stay ahead of evolving threats.
Google concludes that its 2024 Ads Safety Report offers a glimpse into the systems that help keep billions of people safe online, many without ever realising it. But for those who run small businesses, browse the web, or build tools and content that power Africa's digital economy, safety is not just technical — it's foundational.
Individuals are encouraged to view the full report here.
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*Image courtesy of contributor