Your Merchant Center account is in violation of the following policies: Adult-oriented content

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1

Hi,

I have received an email that my MCA is in violation of a policy. [Adult oriented content] and also there’s an issue with the countries I am targeting as there are some countries that prohibit adult content.

I was given a warning and a deadline to fix the issues till the 11th February

I have tried and fixed most of the errors and removed the countries that do not allow the promotion of adult oriented content.

After a review I have received an email again that my account is still in policy violation - Adult oriented content and my account has been suspended.

I believe my account is not permanently suspended and I still have chance to address the issues and request/appeal for a review.

Now my question is do I need to remove those products just from the merchant centre account ? or do I need to remove them permanently from my website and delete them in shopify as well ?

What other things can do to address the issues ?

Below is the email I have received.

"We’ve reviewed your Merchant Center account and found policy violations.

Your Merchant Center account has been suspended, and your products are no longer being promoted.

Note that a suspension notification is also displayed in your Merchant Center account. In addition, related Merchant Center accounts may also get suspended.

Your Merchant Center account is in violation of the following policies:

Adult-oriented content

ADULT PRODUCTS (ADULT ORIENTED CONTENT)

Google classifies certain types of content to ensure it is only shown to the relevant audience due to the nature of the products or legal restrictions.

Adult Merchandise
Promotion or sale of merchandise intended to enhance sexual activity.

Sexually Suggestive Content
Content containing sexually suggestive text, images, audio or video.

Nudity
People or representations of people that display sexual body parts.

In addition to the requirements above, there may be further restrictions based on your target country. See additional country specific requirements under the Adult Oriented Content policy:

If you have questions, we want to help. Contact the Merchant Center Support team here. "

Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Sultan

2

Adult related content, and what needs to be done depends on what you sell.

For example a bikini with a model, can be flagged as adult content. Selling a bikini is allowed, but not if you make the images sexual in nature.

So it is recommended that you show the bikini without model. For example with a mannequin.

It is indeed required that you resolve all issues, because once you are flagged, resolving only a handfull of issues, is never the solution.

In fact, you are better to remove all countries, just target the home country only.

And make sure you are 100% compliant. Then in a few months expand if that is your goal. Always make it yourself easier to fix violations, having too many countries is going to make it yourself more difficult.

3

Hey,

You don’t have to remove the products, in your GMC account, you must set the [adult] attribute to yes for adult-oriented products to indicate to Google that you’re using adult-oriented products.

If you’re mainly selling adult oriented products, you must configure GMC settings in account level:

Here’s how:

For Google Merchant Center Next:

Go to your GMC account > find “your business” section > select the “Business details” tab > click on Edit details > At the bottom, you will find a check box “Adult Content”, tick it.

Additionally, double-check the target countries and remove the countries that prohibit selling adult products.

Regarding the website, you don’t have to remove the products but make sure you abide by Google’s policy guidelines.

For more information, check out the following page from Google on adult-oriented content:

https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324508?hl=en

4

That is not correct, if products are legally not allowed or are against google’s policies, these need to be removed.

For example, Thailand doesn’t allow sexual related toys.

Once must know both Google’s Policies, And the Countries laws.

5

Hey Sultan, I understand your frustration with the suspension. To answer your question, you don’t necessarily need to delete the products from Shopify, but you should remove them from your Merchant Center account to ensure compliance with Google’s policies.

Here’s what you can do to address the issues and improve your chances for a successful appeal:

Remove Restricted Products from Merchant Center: If the issue is related to adult-oriented content, make sure those products are either paused or completely removed from your Merchant Center account. Removing them from your store is not required unless they are still visible and being promoted.

Check Product Descriptions and Images: Even if the products are not adult-oriented, certain product descriptions or images can be flagged. Ensure that the content complies with Google’s rules for sexually suggestive content or nudity.

Review Your Target Countries: You’ve already removed countries that prohibit adult content, which is great. Double-check the countries you’re targeting to make sure they align with Google’s policies.

Appeal for Reinstatement: After ensuring everything is fixed, submit an appeal through your Merchant Center account. Be clear that you’ve made the necessary adjustments and provide any supporting evidence if needed.

Revisit Google’s Policies: Make sure to thoroughly review Google’s Adult-Oriented Content policies to ensure you’ve covered all aspects of compliance.

Let me know if you need help navigating the process! Best of luck with getting your account reinstated!