Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Google's ad review approved a deceptive iOS-style popup that its own Gemini AI instantly flagged.
Chris Greening reports repeatedly reporting a YouTube ad mimicking an iOS system alert claiming full iPhone storage. Google's review team twice found it policy-compliant. Greening then fed the ad to Google's Gemini, which identified three policy violations: misrepresentation (OS dialog imitation), non-functional UI, and deceptive fear tactics. Gemini's classification was "DISAPPROVED" with a demand to flag the account for suspension. Greening contrasts Gemini's instant accuracy with Google's human review failure, questioning whether profit motives or incompetence drive the lax enforcement.
What commenters are saying
Commenters overwhelmingly blame Google's profit motive: dodgy ads generate revenue with minimal liability under Section 230. Several note Meta's admission that scam ads account for 10% of revenue. One former Google Ads employee confirms AI and human review exist but are insufficient. Some users report the report-ads button being removed after repeated flagging. A minority argue cost is trivial and attribute inaction to intentional negligence. No comment defends Google's process as adequate.