Google will no longer allow ad targeting of children based on their age, gender or interests

Google announced it will restrict ad targeting of users under 18 years old based on their age, gender and interests, as part of several measures to protect children. Additional changes include for anyone under the age of 18 to require for their images to be removed from Google’s image results. The company decided to introduce such changes based on regulations being introduced in several countries. The changes concerning ad targeting are similar to ones implemented by Facebook and Instagram in July 2020.

Google also affirmed that minors will also no longer be able to turn location history in their Google Account settings. Moreover, on YouTube autoplay will be off by default to children under 18. Finally, Google will provide new resources for young people and their parents to help them better understand the company’s data practices. All these protective measures are expected to be implemented in the coming months.