Google ends cryptocurrency ad ban

Google has announced it is reversing its decision to ban advertisements for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

The online giant blocked such adverts back in March as part of a security crackdown, but has now apparently changed its mind and will allow cryptocurrency ads on its services from next month.

The news was detailed in a change to Google's October 2018 financial products and services policy, which says that the terms will be "updated" in order to allow regulated cryptocurrency exchanges to advertise in the United States and Japan - although they can be based anywhere in the world.

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Google cryptocurrency ban

However companies looking to advertise will need to be certified with Google for the specific country in which their ads will serve, with applications opening once the new service launches next month.

"We don't have a crystal ball to know where the future is going to go with cryptocurrencies, but we've seen enough consumer harm or potential for consumer harm that it's an area that we want to approach with extreme caution," Scott Spencer, Google's director of sustainable ads, had said at the time of the initial ban.

The block had also affected third-party websites, and meant that companies looking to advertise rolling spot forex and financial spread betting also needed to obtain certification from Google in order to advertise through AdWords.

The turnaround follows a similar decision from Facebook, which began re-allowing cryptocurrency adverts back in June following its own ban.