I've seen suspiciously more malicious ads on older users phone (e.g., click to update Chrome ads) especially in-app ads.

Because they get paid ?

This is one reason why you have adblock...

This is include ads that impersonate google services, e.g. "your google translate has expired, upgrade to a new version". Reporting it to google is like yelling at a wall. Or worse, yelling at a wall after a few million years will slowly erode it due to the air friction.

Simple: They don't care.

> I’m a big fan of Hanlon’s razor.

There is a 3rd option: malicious stupidity / aka wilful ignorance.

Google is a collection of individuals, so it's very likely both sides of Hanlon's razor are true: a little malice from those in control, persisting a state of stupidity for those executing the process.

As others have pointed out, there will be resistance to improving a process that negatively impacts their bottom line. Incentives, dictate long term behaviour of organisations; whereas Hanlon's razor works better at an individual level IME.

Still some people don't block ads and people pay for it.

Simple as that.

Funny how AI is AGI and yet ad companies don't use AI to scan for scam ads but they might lock you out of your account via automated review

How weird. I reported this exact ad earlier today.

Same for Facebook posts and comments inciting hatred