What You Need to Know About the Google Ads Customer Match Policy Update 

As concerns about user privacy and data collection continue to grow, Google, among other large advertising platforms, continues to update its policies to protect user data from being collected unfairly while also satisfying the needs of its advertisers. With this in mind, Google has made updates regarding its Customer Match policy within the Google Ads platform. 

This new policy will come into effect on January 13, 2025, with the main theme that Google will have much stricter guidelines for any advertisers that use their Customer Match feature. This will include penalties including account suspension for any advertiser who fails to comply with these new guidelines. 

What Is Google Ads Customer Match? 

The Customer Match feature is a powerful tool that Google Ads advertisers can use to reconnect or “retarget” previous customers by using customer contact information. By simply uploading email lists, advertisers can create targeted campaigns that specifically target previous customers as well as target new customers with similar interests and profiles. 

This feature works by taking the email list that is uploaded and allows advertisers to reconnect with previous customers and match that with potential new customers with similar profiles. These ads will appear across Google Search, Shopping, Gmail, YouTube, and Display. This approach can have a profound effect on advertisers’ Return On Investment (ROI) and engagement rates by potentially reaching previous customers and more highly qualified new customers.

Key benefits of Customer Match include:

• Improved audience targeting
• Increased ad personalization
• Cross-platform marketing capabilities
• Higher Return On Investment (ROI)

What Is Included In The Google Ads Customer Match Policy Update 

Now that we’ve covered what Customer Match is, now let’s dive into the new policy update. This new Customer Match policy update includes the following.

• Consent and Data Collection: Starting January 13th, 2025, Advertisers must get explicit consent from their users to collect their user’s data. This will require advertisers to make it clear how and why this data will be used and there must be mechanisms in place to support this including; clear consent forms, transparent privacy policies, opt-in mechanisms, detailed explanation of data usage, etc. Any attempts to mislead users about how and why their data will be used will be subject to penalties up to account suspension. 

• Age Restrictions: Google will require advertisers to perform strict age verification for individuals who are under the age of 18. This is to protect younger audiences from potentially harmful or inappropriate content being served to them. 

Why Google is Updating These Policies

This update is a response to growing concerns about the right to online user privacy and data collection. Google has become aware of the potential misuse of this information and is taking steps forward to aid with this ongoing issue. Although this will not eliminate the misuse of user data entirely, it is a great step in the right direction particularly with regards to maintaining user trust on Google’s platform. 

Navah Hopkins posted this quote on her LinkedIn page when she received an email notice regarding this change:

“On January 13, 2025, Google will update its Customer Match policy to state that customers may lose Customer Match access if their ads have the potential to cause harm to users or create a poor user experience. We may take the following considerations, among others, into account when making this determination.”

Consequences For Violating These Policies 

Google has mentioned that violations of these policies will not lead to immediate account suspension without proper warning. Advertisers who are in violation will receive at least a 7 days notice before any form of account suspension; however, the consequences issued will depend on the severity of the violation. 

Adapting To These New Changes

This new Google ads customer match policy change represents a critical shift in the way that advertisers collect data and hold them accountable to respect user privacy. By clearly defining how user data will be used, it puts the power back into the hands of the users themselves so they can decide if they would like to share that data or not. 

Although this can be seen as putting limitations on advertisers, this can be seen as an opportunity rather than a restriction. By being clear and honest about data usage, this can build trust with potential customers and they can have confidence that their data will not be misused. 

There is no doubt that other major platforms will begin to implement stricter guidelines as well, and we are already seeing that shift. Now more than ever it is important to practice ethical business practices and maintain a user-focused presence online, as these advertisers will be rewarded.

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