New Legal Waiver for Images In Google Ads

What Google’s New Legal Waiver for Images in Ads Means for Your Business

Google has introduced a new requirement in Google Ads, asking advertisers to confirm that they own the rights to all images used on their landing pages. This update, which comes in the form of a checkbox waiver, ensures that businesses and marketers comply with image copyright laws when running ads.

But why has Google introduced this change now, and what does it mean for businesses using Google Ads? More importantly, how can you ensure your ad campaigns remain fully compliant? Let’s take a look at the next steps.

What Is the New Google Ads Image Waiver?

Google’s new waiver is part of the dynamic images section in automated ad assets. When uploading images, advertisers must now check a box confirming that:

• They own all legal rights to the images used on their landing pages.
• Or they have permission to share those images with Google for advertising purposes.
• They authorise Google to publish these images on their behalf for commercial use.

This means that advertisers are now legally responsible for ensuring that all images used in their ads are either original, properly licensed, or permitted for use.

Why Did Google Introduce This Update?

The likely reason behind this update is image copyright issues. With the rise of AI-driven automation in Google Ads, businesses were using images suggested by Google’s AI tools, some of which they may not have owned.

Google’s AI conversational assistant often recommends images from landing pages as part of its automated asset suggestions. While this might seem helpful, it also raises legal risks if advertisers unknowingly use images they don’t have the rights to. By adding this waiver, Google is protecting itself from potential copyright lawsuits while ensuring advertisers are aware of their legal obligations.

What This Means for Businesses & Advertisers

For advertisers, agencies, and business owners, this change means one thing: you need to be more careful than ever about the images you use in your ads. If you don’t own the rights to an image, using it could lead to serious legal consequences.

This is particularly important for:

• Marketing agencies running ads on behalf of clients.
• E-commerce brands using product images they don’t own.
• Service-based businesses that feature images of locations, people, or third-party content.
• Freelancers or in-house teams who may have sourced images from unknown sources.

If you’re running Google Ads, you’ll need to audit your current assets and ensure all images are properly licensed, owned, or approved for commercial use.

Best Practices for Compliance with Google’s Image Policy

To ensure your ad campaigns remain fully compliant, follow these key steps:

• Only use images you own – If your business has original product shots, branded visuals, or in-house photography, there’s nothing to worry about.
• Use licensed stock photos – Platforms like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Unsplash provide legally licensed images for commercial use.
• Check image rights – If you’re using an image sourced online, ensure it has the correct permissions for advertising.
• Be cautious with AI-generated images – AI-created visuals may still be subject to copyright restrictions.
• Audit existing ad assets – Review any previously used images to confirm they meet Google’s new legal requirements.

How We Help Businesses Stay Compliant & Creative

At Peppermint, we understand that navigating Google Ads policies and creative content compliance can be overwhelming. That’s why we help businesses by:

• Providing fully licensed, high-quality ad creatives
• Designing original, custom visuals to match your brand
• Ensuring all Google Ads campaigns meet legal guidelines
• Managing PPC strategies that drive engagement without legal risk

If you need help with Google Ads, paid media, or compliant creative assets, our team is here to assist.

If you need help with your Google Ads strategy, reach out to our team today and let’s build creative, high-impact campaigns without the legal headaches.