Google says all advertisers will soon have to verify their identities in an effort to curb spam, scams, and price gouging across the web

• Google says all advertisers will have to verify their identity going forward, as the company tries to curb spam and other problematic ads on its platforms.
• The change will only apply to US advertisers at first, but Google plans to expand the new rule globally. However, the process could take years to roll out.
• Users will also be given tools to see more information about the ads they're being served.
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Google says it will soon require all advertisers to verify their identity, as it tries to curb spam and other problems like price gouging across its ad network.

The new verification process means anyone who wants to buy ads on Google's platforms, including Search and YouTube, will have to first prove they're who they say they are.

Google says advertisers will be asked to submit personal identification, as well as either business incorporation documents or another form of verification to prove they are located in the country they claim to be in.

The change is an extension of a rule Google put into place in 2018, when it announced that all political advertisers would have to verify their identity before running election ads.

"This change will make it easier for people to understand who the advertiser is behind the ads they see from Google and help them make more informed decisions when using our advertising controls," John Canfield, Google's director of product management for ads integrity, said in a blog post.

"It will also help support the health of the digital advertising ecosystem by detecting bad actors and limiting their attempts to misrepresent themselves."

Google said it will begin by verifying advertisers in phases in the US before expanding globally, a process the company said will take "a few years" to complete. It also said that advertisers with existing ads on its platforms will be given 30 days to complete the verification process.

Then, starting this summer, users will start seeing disclosures on ads when they click the "Why this ad?" button. This will include the name of the advertiser and the country in which the ad was submitted.

It's the latest move from Google as the spread of misinformation has been especially problematic during the COVID-19 outbreak and companies have tried to profit off of the pandemic.