Google is launching a new tool called the Ads Transparency Center, which will function as an ads library. Users will be able to view the ads that an advertiser is running, as well as the regions and dates in which the ads appeared. However, the library will only display ads from a 30-day window. Currently, the ad library only shows creative, and users will not be able to view information such as why an ad was shown or who an advertiser is targeting.
Meta also maintains an ad library, and both Google and Meta have libraries for political ads. This new tool builds upon Google’s My Ad Center, which allows users to have more control over the ads they see across Google-owned properties. However, users are unable to fine-tune their ad experience on other sites where Google places display ads.
The launch of the Ads Transparency Center coincided with the release of Google's 2022 Ads Safety Report. According to the report, 5.2 billion ads were removed, and 6.7 million advertising accounts were suspended last year. Additionally, Google stated that it removed ads from 275 Russian state-funded media sites.
