Google to Block Cryptocurrency and ICO Ads Starting June 2018

Beginning in June 2018, Google will start blocking advertisements related to cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings (ICOs). This announcement was made on the company’s official blog.

Google will prohibit ads for ICOs, cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets, as well as websites offering trading advice for cryptocurrencies. This blacklist is not exhaustive and will be expanded over time. The restrictions will apply to both Google’s own advertising platforms and those of its partners.

According to Scott Spencer, Google’s Director of Ads, these measures are part of the company’s efforts to protect consumers from online fraud. He added that in 2017, Google removed about 3.2 billion misleading ads—almost twice as many as in 2016.

A month earlier, Facebook also began blocking ads for cryptocurrencies and ICOs as part of its anti-fraud efforts. The banned ads are now being removed not only from Facebook itself, but also from Instagram and the Audience Network, which allows the company’s partners to place ads in other apps.