Email notification for Google Ads - Customer Match violation and suspension

[JeffClevelandTN]

Has anybody else recently received an email from Google Ads regarding Customer Match suspension? See attached and below. BTW, none of our accounts have been suspended (yet) and the link in the email to appeal is pretty much useless as we don't actually know what we'd be appealing as the accounts that we received the notification, don't currently use Customer Match and to our knowledge, never have.

Also, after a chat with Ads support, they were likewise confused as these are medical industry clients and if we had been using Customer Match, it would have resulted in a violation years ago due to privacy concerns (e.g. hipaa). The only thing we can think of (which is a stretch) is that we have active pmax campaigns, which are tied to the client GBPs. Maybe pmax's AI is triggering the adwords AI, by using customer information? Again, this is a stretch as pmax is supposed to be using anonymized data, but Google doesn't always do "anonymous" very well. We have had a couple chats with Ad support and they just said it was a blanket email, nothing to be worried about. However, we manage dozens of Ad Accounts and only a handful have received this email.

Would appreciate feedback from that others have received a similar email and any thoughts you can share. Thanks!

 

[Chris Barnard]

Hi Jeff, to be honest I ignore them as they're usually from healthcare accounts where it's not eligible anyway - as you mentioned. If they're not healthcare accounts - or other various, numerous categories like finance, relationships, crime, violence or any other sensitive category that may require user-behavior or interest data to target - it's usually flagged in the Audience manager in Ads with the specific issue. I usually review the Data collection and modification settings in GA4, along with data segments and audiences in Ads.

If the site doesn't meet the Customer Match policy requirements, you can only use customer lists in the “Observation” setting and for Exclusions.

There's always an auto-created data segment - All visitors (Google Analytics), that can't be removed. This is usually from an old remarketing list, when that was possible.

But there could be a bunch of other ineligible audiences - scroll depth, returning users...etc. that can be flagged/removed.

I haven't checked with support (I'm cynical ) about the segment that can't be removed, but let us know if you find out a more helpful, definitive answer. I'll go ask them for an official answer too.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

Hi Jeff, to be honest I ignore them as they're usually from healthcare accounts where it's not eligible anyway - as you mentioned. If they're not healthcare accounts - or other various, numerous categories like finance, relationships, crime, violence or any other sensitive category that may require user-behavior or interest data to target - it's usually flagged in the Audience manager in Ads with the specific issue. I usually review the Data collection and modification settings in GA4, along with data segments and audiences in Ads.

If the site doesn't meet the Customer Match policy requirements, you can only use customer lists in the “Observation” setting and for Exclusions.

There's always an auto-created data segment - All visitors (Google Analytics), that can't be removed. This is usually from an old remarketing list, when that was possible.

But there could be a bunch of other ineligible audiences - scroll depth, returning users...etc. that can be flagged/removed.

I haven't checked with support (I'm cynical ) about the segment that can't be removed, but let us know if you find out a more helpful, definitive answer. I'll go ask them for an official answer too.

Thanks Chris!

 

[Chris Barnard]

Still no word back on the automatically added audience in violation of the customer match, but I will post when I hear.

 

[Chris Barnard]

Update...sorta. They didn't really answer the specific question

The following segments can't be removed:

• Segments that are in-use
• Segments that were automatically created by Google Ads
• Segments that are used to generate other in-use segments

You may refer to the article for more information about the data segments.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

Thanks again Chris. Yes, it appears that most of the occurences we've received notifications were due to segments which actually were auto-created at some point by Google Ads.

 

[Chris Barnard]

It can be safely ignored...I just wanted to push for the specific language

"Post reviewing the concern, I would like to inform you that the notification "Your account is in violation of customer match policies" which you may have received may be ignored if you are not using any customer lists in your Google Ads account. "