A Google employee made unauthorized changes to a client’s advertising account. However, Google Ads liaison Ginny Marvin admitted that the Google representative “did not properly follow our processes to ensure approvals were granted before making changes.”

The confession follows LinkedIn Posts by Andy Youngs, co-founder of The PPC People, who noticed changes made by a Google representative without his or the client’s authorization, including:

• New advertising text.
• Title pinning adjustments.
• Modified bidding strategies.

Why we care. Unauthorized changes to Google Ads accounts are unacceptable. This is the latest incident highlighting the erosion of trust between Google and advertisers.

You rely on Google platforms to maintain control of campaigns. The changes were not detected in the account’s edit history, suggesting a potential transparency issue within the Google Ads tracking system. This incident highlights the need for increased monitoring and communication between Google representatives and advertisers, especially as ad management becomes increasingly complex.

Could this mean additional work to verify that all changes you see in your account are valid, given that they may not appear in the changelog?

What Google says. Marvin responded directly to Youngs, clarifying that the changes were an error and not an intentional act:

• “…we investigated this matter and found that we had not properly followed our processes to ensure approvals were granted before making changes. I can also confirm that this was an error and not intentional. That said, we take these issues very seriously and are taking steps to address them.

The answer. Youngs expressed appreciation for Google’s investigation and resolution, noting that while the incident had caused concern in the advertising community, Marvin’s response indicated that this was an isolated issue rather than of a change in policy. He added that increased transparency and respect for processes from Google would help reassure advertisers.

What’s next. For advertisers, the incident serves as a reminder to closely monitor campaign details and communicate frequently with Google representatives to guard against unapproved changes.

Google’s commitment to closing process gaps can help avoid similar oversights, but advertisers are encouraged to closely monitor their account activity as a precaution.