Tech support scams are a problem on the internet, and Google is trying to stop people from getting tangled in them through their ads.
It's decided to restrict ads by third-party technical support providers, as well as making these businesses verify themselves.
SEE ALSO:Google's redesigned Wear OS might make smartwatches worth buying again"As the fraudulent activity takes place off our platform, it’s increasingly difficult to separate the bad actors from the legitimate providers," reads a post by Google's director of global product policy, David Graff, on Friday.
"That's why in the coming months, we will roll out a verification program to ensure that only legitimate providers of third-party tech support can use our platform to reach consumers."
The announcement comes following a Wall Street Journal investigation on these scams. It included a particularly bad ad purporting to be from Apple, which appeared when one searched for the terms "apple tech support" on Google.
In this case, the ad showed a URL for Apple's official website, but also displayed and linked to a phone number belonging to a tech support scammer.
A 2018 study by cited by the newspaper found that 72 percent of sponsored ads on major search engines related to tech support queries linked to scams.
Google has implemented verification checks to combat fraud other problematic categories, like locksmith services and addiction treatment centers.
It's also banned ads for payday loans, bail bonds services, and cryptocurrency or initial coin offering (ICO) related content.
While the move to restrict ads will certainly stop people from getting tricked via Google's ads, tech support scams will continue to cause trouble through methods like cold-calling and intrusive pop-ups.
TopicsGoogle
(责任编辑：時尚)
Tyler, the Creator helped Frank Ocean celebrate 'Blonde' release in a delicious way
Brad Pitt reportedly cleared of child abuse allegations, seeks joint custody
PBS journalist Gwen Ifill dies at 61
Donald Trump and the media: An unstoppable DDoS attack
Pokémon Go is so big that it has its own VR porn parody nowHere's George Takei chilling in zero gravity for the 'Star Trek' anniversary
There's nothing like good friends, good memories and zero gravity to celebrate a milestone.。In honor
...[详细]Bodybuilding bro who filmed himself eating placenta did it for the gains
While there's doubts as to the health benefits of placentophagy, a.k.a. eating a human placenta, the
...[详细]7 smoky beers to challenge your taste buds
Smoked beer — Rauchbierin German —traditionally acquires its particular flavor from heat
...[详细]New artificial intelligence technique could erase fear from your brain
Imagine if your fear of spiders, heights or confined spaces vanished, leaving you with neutral feeli
...[详细]Major earthquake and multiple aftershocks rock central Italy
UPDATE: Aug. 25, 2016, 8:22 a.m. BST。 Death toll is now at least 247 dead: 190 in Rieti province and
...[详细]Airlines already have deals for depressed Americans
Travel companies are already trying to get Americans to leave the country, before Donald Trump even
...[详细]7 'Rogue One' clues revealed by the prequel novel
Star Wars is meant to be escapism. But with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, out Dec. 16, we're in for
...[详细]'Pokémon Go' says 'thank you' to fans, but not for Thanksgiving
Ah, the unique challenges of operating an online game with a truly global audience.For the final wee
...[详细]The U.S. will no longer have the final say on internet domain names
The National Telecommunications Information Admistration (NTIA) announced via
。 blog post 。on Tuesday
...[详细]Photoshop battle predicts Trump's White House decor
Trump is going to become the next president of the United States, and we're all wondering what that
...[详细]
