Google is reportedly expanding its sensitive ad categories options, letting users limit how many ads they can see about pregnancy, dating, parenting, and weight loss, and making those settings apply to more places.

Google Expands Sensitive Ad Categories

The Google feature was introduced as a way to let users see fewer ads on YouTube about potentially addictive gambling or alcoholic products, but now it seems that the search giant is expanding it to cover other potentially uncomfortable or traumatic subjects, according to Engadget.

According to Elijah Lawal, a spokesperson for the company, your settings will now apply to all of Google's Display networks, not just YouTube ads.

Google says a network is a group of more than two million websites, videos, and apps that advertisers can target users across.

Also Read: Get Familiar with Online Advertising Types

How the Ad Categories Feature Works

In order to access the feature, go to your Ad Settings page and scroll to "Sensitive ad categories on YouTube."

From there, you can click the "See Fewer" button next to whatever categories you prefer. The page will warn you that you will still see the same number of ads overall and ask you to confirm the choice. You can also "Allow" categories you've previously limited in the past.

Google's support page for the sensitive ad categories feature does note that, while it should show you fewer ads for products in each category you've chosen to limit, the topics may still appear in other ads, according to The Washington Post.

Google gave the example of an airline ad featuring someone drinking a glass of champagne. The company also notes that it does not allow advertisers to personalize ads based on certain topics, like gambling and alcohol, but you may see ads about these things based on related interests like beer makers targeting sports fans.

While gambling and drinking probably don't make a lot of appearances in general-audience ads, some of the newly added categories could be trickier to avoid.

For example, an ad for gum may feature people in a relationship, or an ad for razors may bring up the idea of fatherhood.

Google's support page implies that you could still see these types of ads even if you have asked to limit them - you shouldn't get ads for a dating app or diapers unless the video you're watching has a sponsor spot for those things baked in.

Even though there are certain limitations, it is good to see the search giant working to give its users more control over their ads experiences, as its group product manager for ads privacy Karin Hennessy put it in a statement sent to The Verge.

It is the type of improvement that is good for Google and its users, as they can choose to see fewer ads that potentially make them uncomfortable, and advertisers can better target a receptive audience.

Hennessy also said that Google would continue to listen to user feedback and study which categories to expand this feature too in the future.

The said feature also helps those suffering from eating disorders as it prevents them from seeing "positive" ads about certain weight loss programs.

In 2021, Google restricted ad targeting to 18 years old, but the settings can be adjusted to 13 years old.

Related Article: In Depth: How Google Is Fighting 4 Types Of Misleading And Fake Ads

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Written by Sophie Webster