Let’s play a game. When encountering a scam ad served up by Google Ads, how many steps does it take to report it? Let’s count.

Step 1: tap this tiny little X in the corner. Missed it? Oh, you just tapped on the ad. Now google thinks you’re interested. Get ready to see this ad again!

Step 2: Tap... Report this ad? Nope. That won’t let you report a scam. There’s also no way to go back and start again. Reload the page. Hope the ad comes back!

Step 3: Tap ‘Why this ad?’
... for some reason.

Step 4: Tap ‘Report this ad’

Step 5: Select ‘an ad violates other Google Ads policies’.

Hope you know their policies prohibit scam ads!

Step 6: Select ‘Other Ads...’ blah blah blah.

Hope you know that this is an ad on the Google Ad Network!

Step 7: Select ‘Cyber Frauds’.

But definitely DON’T select ‘Misleading content or scam’ because that doesn’t go anywhere.

Step 8: provide your email (even though I’m already signed in to Google), then ignore these instructions that are impossible to do on the device I’m on.

Step 9: Add some MANDATORY additional details. Don’t have any? You can’t report the ad.

Step 10: you did it! Google lets you know that even though you provided your email address they definitely won’t be contacting you further about this issue.

I’m sure this kind of scam ad reporting happens all the time, because it’s such a terrific and seamless experience.

/end

Sorry, I know I said this was the end, but I thought I’d just compare this to Instagram. It’s kinda hard to find scam ads in the feed (easier in stories) but here’s the process.

Step 1: Tap the 3 dots next to the ad.

Step 2: Select ‘Report ad’.

Step 3: Select ‘It’s a scam or it’s misleading’.

Step 4: That’s it. You’re done. If an ad gets removed you get a report about it.

Google, please copy this. Because your current scam ad reporting process suuuuuucks