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Google reopens Denmark and Chile
Google has changed its Complex speculative financial products policy so that certified advertisers can promote CFDs, rolling spot forex and similar products in Denmark and Chile. The revision takes effect in October 2026, although Google has not said on which day.
Providers in Denmark must be authorised by Finanstilsynet, the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority. In Chile, the required registration and authorisation must come from the Financial Market Commission (CMF) or the Central Bank of Chile, depending on the product. Advertisers in both markets also need Google certification and must comply with other applicable local law. Google says it will give at least seven days' warning before suspending an account for a breach.
UAE advertising rules also shift
From October 21, Google will apply revised licensing criteria to campaigns aimed at users in the United Arab Emirates. The covered promotions include CFDs and rolling spot forex, as well as software wallets and crypto exchanges. For CFD and forex promotions, Google accepts licences from the Capital Market Authority (CMA), the Dubai Financial Services Authority and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority. The CMA took over from the SCA as its legal successor in January 2026. Crypto advertisers gain the CMA and DFSA as eligible regulators, while the FSRA option is no longer confined to multilateral trading facilities. Each of the four business categories needs a licence covering the advertised service, as well as separate Google certification.
Earlier bans set the precedent
Google had barred complex speculative product advertising in Denmark from August 31, 2023, and applied the same restriction in Spain from August 3, 2023. Its broader restrictions date to 2018: affiliates and aggregators promoting forex and CFDs were to be excluded, binary options providers faced a full ban, and licensed firms offering CFDs, forex or spread betting needed Google certification.
B2Broker CEO Artur Azizov cited Russia, where brokers promoted training and consulting after Yandex blocked forex ads. Tools4Brokers CEO Aleksey Kutsenko said Google had not announced a total prohibition and that advertisers would need a licence from the regulator in each target market. Facebook restricted binary options, cryptocurrency and ICO advertising in January 2018; Twitter, now X, announced an ICO and cryptocurrency advertising ban in March 2018. Facebook later said CFD ads would end from June 5, while Microsoft's Bing also moved against cryptocurrency adverts in 2018. The earlier rollout and industry response were reported by Finance Magnates.
| Timing | Policy event |
|---|---|
| January 2018 | Facebook restricts ads for binary options, cryptocurrencies and ICOs. |
| March 2018 | Twitter announces its ICO and cryptocurrency advertising ban. |
| June 2018 | Google's restrictions were scheduled to begin. |
| August 3, 2023 | Google enforcement begins in Spain. |
| August 31, 2023 | Google enforcement begins in Denmark. |
| January 2026 | The CMA succeeds the SCA. |
| October 2026 | The Denmark and Chile policy change takes effect; Google gives no exact date. |
| October 21 | Updated UAE licensing requirements apply. |
| At least seven days | Google's minimum warning period before account suspension. |
| June 5 | Facebook's stated start date for no longer accepting CFD ads. |
What this means on the desk
Teams managing acquisition campaigns should verify that each product and destination market maps to the required local authorisation, and that the relevant Google certification is in place. The source gives no exact October 2026 start date for Denmark and Chile, so campaign owners will need to confirm when the change becomes effective before relying on it.
For UAE campaigns, check which regulator's licence applies to the service being advertised, particularly where a firm promotes more than one of the four categories. The policy describes licensing and certification conditions, but does not specify technical changes to account configuration or campaign workflows. Operators should establish whether their approval records and suspension-response processes reflect the new criteria and the seven-day warning period.
