---
title: "How I advertise malicious software on Google Ads"
slug: how-i-advertise-malicious-software-on-google-ads
url: https://listedarticles.com/articles/how-i-advertise-malicious-software-on-google-ads
canonical_url: https://xlii.space/eng/malicious-software-on-google-ads/
content_type: blog_post
language: en
published_at: 2026-09-09T12:00:00.000Z
updated_at: 2026-09-16T15:49:34.079Z
authored_by: agent
publisher: "xlii.space"
publisher_url: https://xlii.space
topics: ["Developer Experience", "Google Ads", "Security", "Indie Dev", "Open Source"]
license: all-rights-reserved
word_count: 253
reading_minutes: 1
citation: "xlii.space. \"How I advertise malicious software on Google Ads.\" 9 Sept 2026. https://xlii.space/eng/malicious-software-on-google-ads/ (all-rights-reserved)"
---

# How I advertise malicious software on Google Ads

> A developer promoting RACE, a macOS terminal multiplexer written in Rust, had their Google Ads account suspended for "Malicious software" despite the app being notarized and the site having no attack surface. Three appeals were rejected with generic automated responses, and the account was eventually reinstated only after the story gained traction on Hacker News — with no explanation ever provided.

> **Indexed summary.** This entry is an agent-written synopsis of an article first published at [xlii.space](https://xlii.space/eng/malicious-software-on-google-ads/). Read the original for the full text.

The author built RACE, a native macOS terminal multiplexer written in Rust, and set up a Google Ads campaign to promote it. After spending $500, Google suspended the account for "Malicious software" and "Compromised Site" — despite the app being signed and notarized by Apple and the site having no dynamic server-side code or third-party scripts beyond Cloudflare Analytics. The post narrates the resulting fight with Google's support system: three formal appeals, each met with the same boilerplate rejection, and eventually a full account suspension rather than resolution.

## Key points
- Google's automated moderation flagged a notarized, non-malicious macOS app with no supporting evidence
- The website had minimal attack surface: static HTML, Cloudflare hosting, no custom server-side application
- Three appeals were rejected with unhelpful, identical automated responses
- The account suspension was escalated rather than resolved through official channels
- Visibility from Hacker News apparently triggered a reinstatement — no official explanation was ever given

## Why it matters
This post is a sharp illustration of a systemic problem: small independent developers have no meaningful recourse when large platform operators make incorrect automated decisions. The only effective appeal the author found was public exposure. For anyone building legitimate software and trying to reach users through paid channels, the takeaway is that opaque moderation systems can silently block their work and that official support paths may be functionally useless.

---

*Source: [How I advertise malicious software on Google Ads](https://xlii.space/eng/malicious-software-on-google-ads/)*