Why is Google still serving dodgy ads? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#31

Post by Scoundreller » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:31 PM UTC

poisonborz wrote: post #17

Meta knowingly earns 10% of its _overall_ sales from scams. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/06/meta-reportedly-projected-10...

It's more than that. The 10% is the scam ads that "won" the ad auctions. It doesn't include the effect of scam ads bidding up the market and increasing the price of non-scam ad wins.

(Could also argue that the scam ad that won the slot for 10 cents would have gone for 9 cents without the scam and Meta's marginal revenue was only 1 cent... but if every ad is 1 cent more...)

Same problem when you want to buy a home in a place where real estate became a means for money laundering or uninhabited store of value

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#32

Post by drchaim » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:32 PM UTC

I’d love to know how much Google has made from accidental clicks since it started. I used to see my mum make a couple of mistaken clicks here and there on her computer; now on mobile it’s easily 10x worse. Sometimes because she doesn’t realize they’re ads, other times she tries to tap the X and it opens… It’s insane

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#33

Post by dpkirchner » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:32 PM UTC

I think the obvious answer is they aren't held to account by regulators. If a few execs were sent to prison for defrauding their users (and investors for taking on so much risk) things would change overnight.

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#34

Post by hsuduebc2 » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:33 PM UTC

8cvor6j844qw_d6 wrote: post #28

I've seen suspiciously more malicious ads on older users phone (e.g., click to update Chrome ads) especially in-app ads.

You can target by specific system or even a version. This is simply google tolerated malicious behavior because it brings them revenue.

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#35

Post by alpineman » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:33 PM UTC

Same for Facebook posts and comments inciting hatred

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#36

Post by beloch » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:34 PM UTC

This is one major reason why blocking ads is now a safety issue. If you have a family member who, for whatever reason, might be fooled by this sort of ad, install an effective adblocker on all their browsers and uninstall/disable browsers that don't support an effective adblocker.

If you are reliant on ad revenue, you should be expressing your displeasure to google right now.

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#37

Post by repeekad » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:35 PM UTC

snailmailman wrote: post #25

Google can reply and confirm whether or not a report did anything? I’ve never seen that. I report ads on YouTube all the time. I’ve reported ads for illegal drugs, illegal firearms, pornography, and all sorts of various scams. I’ve seen similar advertising to the example in this article, mimicking the phone’s UI. Ive reported them. I’ve never once seen Google reply to any of my reports to confirm what happened. I’ve…

There is am extremely pervasive trick where bots repost trending comments rewritten in AI very early in videos and boost their bot comments above the original, then if a bot lands a top comment the profile is suddenly switched to porn/scam links with a female model as the profile picture.

It's so common and so clearly reported by many people that I'm left to assume Google likes the engagement the profiles bring and chooses to leave them up.

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#38

Post by gdulli » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:36 PM UTC

A lot of questions being raised today can be answered by the recently inverted power balance between users/customers and corporations. People have not yet internalized that old assumptions about how corporations fear losing customers are no longer valid. Consumers have become entirely docile and passive. Open hostility to consumers is now a norm. (Obviously regulation is also less powerful and less feared as well.)

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#39

Post by mito88 » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:37 PM UTC

a rhetorical question...

:)

Re: Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?

#40

Post by hn_submit » Sun, Sep 13, 2026, 6:39 PM UTC

These days almost all Google search results return nothing but links to stuff that you can buy instead of useful information you were looking for. They do this because they think they can get away with it, they're the only game in town.

To me this signals a huge opportunity for other companies to dive into. If a new internet search company appeared that returned actual useful search results and clearly delineated ads (like Google used to) I would switch to it almost immediately.

The only way these companies are ever going to change their game is when people vote with their feet!