Why Is Google Now Requiring Ringtones Ads To Disclose Pricing

A week ago, I reported at the Search Engine Roundtable that Google is now requiring advertisers of ringtones to disclose the price of those ringtones in the actual ad copy. Supposedly, this will become a new policy required of advertisers in the upcoming weeks. We do not yet have confirmation on Google about this new policy.

On Friday, I spotted an explanation from MediaPost on why this policy is coming down the pipeline for AdWords advertisers. According to MediaPost, the Florida Attorney General’s office has “convinced” Google to require AdWords advertisers to disclose this pricing information in any ad that is selling ringtones.

Will Haselden, head of the cyberfraud division of the Florida Attorney General’s economic fraud unit, said that after six months of negotiation with Google, this is what they came up with. Will said:

We convinced Google that advertising wouldn’t be markedly affected by putting that in there.

The Florida Attorney General’s office received many complaints about these hidden fees behind ringtones and they decided to do what they can about it.

Try a search at Google on free ringtones and you will see that most of them have pricing details in the ad copy. Here is a screen capture: