Google tightens phone number policy to combat fraud in ads

Google announced on November 10, 2025, an update to the Unacceptable phone number section of its Destination requirements policy. The modification introduces a new requirement indicating that phone numbers found to be associated with fraudulent activity or with a history of policy violations will be deemed unacceptable for use in advertising. Enforcement begins December 10, with a gradual rollout over approximately eight weeks.

According to the policy documentation, phone numbers must remain "in service in the country you are targeting and relate to the advertised company." Google conducts periodic test calls to verify validity, accuracy, and relevancy of phone numbers used in advertisements. These verification calls may be recorded.

The update expands existing restrictions beyond technical requirements. Phone numbers that are inaccurate, inactive, irrelevant, or fail to connect to the advertised company already face disapproval under current policy. Fax numbers, premium numbers requiring additional fees, and vanity numbers where digits are replaced with letters also violate the policy. Virtual phone number services and personal numbering remain prohibited in most markets, with limited exceptions in countries including the United Kingdom and Spain.

The addition of fraud-related criteria represents a shift toward behavioral enforcement rather than purely technical compliance. Phone numbers demonstrating patterns of fraudulent activity or accumulating policy violations across time will now trigger disapprovals regardless of technical functionality.

This policy modification arrives amid escalating concerns about call-based advertising fraud. Industry professionals have documented thousands of fraudulent advertisements deployed using phone-based ad formats that circumvent URL authentication requirements. In Mexico, fraudulent travel agencies exploited call-only ads to operate scam call centers targeting reservation bookings.

The technical enforcement mechanisms remain consistent with existing procedures. Advertisers receiving disapprovals for unacceptable phone numbers must ensure their phone numbers are functional, relevant, connect to the advertised company, and remain domestic to targeted locations. For location assets linked to Business Profile addresses, advertisers must update information through their Business Profile account. Manually entered addresses require editing through the Google Ads interface.

Brazil maintains location-specific restrictions requiring carrier codes for non-toll-free numbers. Phone numbers targeting Brazil must include carrier codes formatted as "0XX11 5555 1234" where "XX" represents the carrier code, unless they are toll-free numbers like 4004 or 0800.

The policy framework treats phone number violations under the broader Destination requirements policy governing ad destination functionality and user experience. According to policy documentation, violations will not trigger immediate account suspension without prior warning. Warnings are issued at least seven days before any suspension, providing advertisers opportunity to address compliance issues.

Google's approach to phone number verification has intensified throughout 2025. The company extended phone verification requirements to message assets in July, with enforcement beginning August 1 for new creations and September 1 for existing assets. In October, Google introduced comprehensive message asset requirements mandating verification for businesses using messaging features in Search and Performance Max campaigns.

These verification initiatives complement Google's broader fraud prevention infrastructure. The company deployed Gemini AI systems achieving a 40% reduction in deceptive advertisements through multimodal large language models. Google's ad traffic quality division collaborated with Google Research and Google DeepMind to develop systems mimicking human behavior while navigating websites and mobile applications.

The scale of Google's enforcement actions has expanded dramatically. The company suspended over 39.2 million advertiser accounts in 2024, representing a 208% increase from the previous year. Google removed over 5.1 billion advertisements and restricted over 9.1 billion advertisements during the same period. The company suspended more than 700,000 accounts promoting AI-generated public figure impersonation scams, achieving a 90% reduction in reports of this scam type.

For advertisers managing large phone number portfolios, the fraud-based criteria create new compliance obligations. Companies utilizing hundreds or thousands of phone numbers across call-only ads, call assets, and location assets must ensure all numbers maintain clean records without fraudulent activity associations or policy violation histories.

The enforcement timeline provides limited flexibility. December 10 marks the beginning of enforcement, with full implementation expected by early February 2026 based on the eight-week ramp-up period. Advertisers should audit phone number inventory before enforcement begins, identifying numbers with potential fraud associations or previous policy violations.

Agencies face particular challenges. Third-party partners managing client campaigns must verify phone numbers across all accounts, potentially requiring additional documentation and coordination with clients' telecommunications infrastructure. This adds complexity to campaign management processes and may extend setup timelines for new campaigns incorporating phone-based assets.

Google's documentation emphasizes the policy's role in maintaining platform quality and user safety. The verification requirement helps ensure phone numbers provide legitimate communication channels for users rather than conduits for fraudulent operations. This aligns with Google's broader efforts to combat fraudulent advertising and improve user trust in its advertising platform.

The policy update intersects with Google's decision to deprecate call-only ads entirely by February 2027. Starting February 2026, advertisers will lose the ability to create new call-only ads, with existing call ads ceasing to serve impressions by February 2027. The transition pushes advertisers toward responsive search ads with call assets, which utilize artificial intelligence to match advertisements with user needs.

Call assets function as extensions added to responsive search ads. When users click these elements, they initiate phone calls to advertiser numbers rather than visiting websites. The format supports multiple integration options while maintaining verification requirements and fraud prevention measures.

Recent improvements to Google's suspension systems demonstrate the company's commitment to balancing fraud prevention with legitimate advertiser protection. Google reduced incorrect advertiser account suspensions by more than 80% through enhanced AI systems, according to a November 13, 2025 announcement. Appeal resolution times improved by 70%, with 99% of advertiser appeals now resolved within 24 hours.

The company clarified consequences for providing false verification information in November 2025. Advertisers submitting false or fraudulent information during verification programs face immediate account suspension without warning and permanent platform exclusion. The clarification reinforces existing policy without changing enforcement standards.

For disapproved ads or assets, Google provides resolution pathways through the Google Ads interface. Advertisers can edit affected ads by navigating to the Campaigns menu, selecting the ad or asset, and modifying content to comply with policy requirements. The system automatically reviews edited content, with status updates appearing in the Ads & Assets page.

Advertisers believing their ads were incorrectly disapproved can appeal policy decisions directly through Google Ads accounts. If reviews determine ads comply with policy, they resume serving. However, advertisers unable to fix violations should remove affected ads to prevent future account suspensions resulting from repeated policy violations.

The phone number policy update represents one component of Google's multifaceted approach to advertising platform security. The company maintains sophisticated multi-layered systems for identifying and filtering invalid activity, employing both General Invalid Traffic and Sophisticated Invalid Traffic detection techniques compliant with Media Rating Council guidelines.

Marketing professionals utilizing Google's advertising platforms should recognize these developments as improved protection against wasted spending and enhanced confidence in campaign performance metrics. The implementation represents technical advancement in combating fraudulent activity that has plagued digital advertising since its inception.

As advertising fraud schemes become increasingly sophisticated, particularly with AI-generated deception techniques, Google's behavioral enforcement approach may establish new industry standards for fraud prevention. The addition of fraud-based criteria to phone number policies signals a shift from passive technical verification toward active behavioral monitoring across the advertising ecosystem.

Timeline

• May 21, 2024: Google updated its Editorial Policy for clarity without enforcement changes
• September 30, 2019: Google updated call-only ads unit layout, resulting in 14% increase in phone calls
• April 20, 2025: Google suspended 39.2 million advertiser accounts in 2024, tripling enforcement
• April 21, 2025: Google clarified ad account suspension policies with enhanced transparency
• July 2, 2025: Google extended phone verification to message assets beginning August 1
• August 16, 2025: Google deployed Gemini AI to combat fraud, achieving 40% reduction in deceptive ads
• August 17, 2025: Google reorganized dishonest behavior policy without enforcement changes
• September 2, 2025: Google expanded messaging platforms in ads beyond WhatsApp support
• October 2, 2025: Google introduced message asset requirements with verification mandates
• October 4, 2025: Google announced call ads deprecation by February 2027
• November 10, 2025: Google announced update to Unacceptable phone number policy
• November 13, 2025: Google reduced incorrect suspensions by 80% through AI improvements
• November 2025: Google emphasized consequences for false verification information
• December 10, 2025: Enforcement begins for fraudulent phone number restrictions
• Early February 2026: Full enforcement completion after eight-week ramp-up

Summary

Who: Google Ads advertisers using phone numbers in call-only ads, call assets, and location assets across all markets and industries

What: Google updated the Unacceptable phone number section of its Destination requirements policy to prohibit phone numbers associated with fraudulent activity or policy violation histories. The modification expands existing technical restrictions to include behavioral enforcement criteria.

When: Google announced the policy update on November 10, 2025. Enforcement begins December 10, 2025, with gradual rollout over approximately eight weeks through early February 2026.

Where: The policy applies globally across all Google Ads accounts using phone numbers in call-only ads, call assets, and location assets. Brazil maintains additional location-specific restrictions requiring carrier codes for non-toll-free numbers.

Why: The update addresses escalating fraud concerns in phone-based advertising formats. Call-only ads have been exploited by fraudulent operations that bypass URL authentication requirements. The policy change aims to maintain platform quality, protect users from fraudulent communication channels, and improve trust in Google's advertising ecosystem while complementing existing technical verification requirements.