Key Highlights
- Google Ads now includes a low-visibility setting that allows Google to insert its own imagery into location-based ads.
- The feature can introduce unapproved creative assets, raising brand control and compliance concerns.
- Advertisers must manually review the settings within the Shared Library’s Location Manager.
Google Ads has quietly introduced a setting that could significantly impact how location-based ads appear, without advertisers in digital marketing realizing it.
Located within the Shared Library under Location Manager, the new option is called “Google Owned Location Data.” When enabled, it allows Google to automatically pull images from its own library and use them in ads associated with a business’s physical locations.
While Google positions the setting as a way to support performance and automation, it also means that visual assets can appear in ads without being uploaded, selected, or explicitly approved by the advertiser.
Why Advertisers Should Pay Attention
For brands that closely manage creative consistency, the change introduces potential risks. Imagery chosen by Google may not align with brand guidelines, local regulations, or franchise-specific requirements.
This is particularly relevant for advertisers in regulated industries, franchise-based businesses, or enterprises with strict brand governance, where even small creative deviations can create compliance or reputational issues.
Because the setting is not highly visible and does not trigger prominent alerts, advertisers may be unaware that their ads are using externally sourced imagery.
Automation Moves Beyond Bidding
The update reflects a broader shift in Google Ads toward deeper automation, not just in bidding and targeting, but now in creative decision-making.
Location-based campaigns, including those using location extensions, are especially affected. By automatically sourcing images tied to a business location, Google is increasingly controlling how brands visually appear across its ad ecosystem.
This change underscores Google’s ongoing push to reduce manual inputs while optimizing campaigns for performance; sometimes at the expense of advertiser oversight.
Hidden Risks for Brand-Sensitive Advertisers
For organizations with multiple locations or franchise partners, the setting could introduce visual inconsistencies across markets. In some cases, Google’s imagery may be outdated, inaccurate, or misrepresentative of a specific location.
Because the setting can operate quietly in the background, advertisers may only notice the issue after ads are already live.
What Advertisers Should Do Now
Advertisers concerned about creative control should immediately review the Location Manager in the Shared Library and confirm whether Google Owned Location Data is enabled.
Auditing this setting ensures that only approved visuals are used and helps prevent unexpected creatives from appearing in live campaigns.
As Google Ads automation continues to expand into creative execution, advertisers must stay vigilant. This subtle setting may seem minor, but for brands that value visual oversight, it’s a change worth reviewing before unapproved imagery appears in live ads.