Google will put restrictions on ads that promote misinformation related to coronavirus. Google will impose these restrictions on misleading ads starting next month. This step will also put brakes on the money-making business that several websites have established by posting misleading and unofficial information related to COVID-19.
Not only websites, apps involved in this conspiracy, and the spread of misinformation will also face a ban from Google. As per Bloomberg, the banned content also includes the claims that coronavirus was developed in a Chinese lab as a weapon to destroy humanity, and it was created by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Besides, this ban will also be effective on ads claiming that an unwarranted cure for novel coronavirus is available. Moreover, Google will also implement human and machine learning to take necessary actions against such advertisers and web publishers.
Google will impose its new ad policy from next month
The company has already removed around 200 million ads. These ads were violating its policy and trying to take monetary advantage of this pandemic. Anyone violating Google’s new policy repeatedly has to face a permanent ban from using its ad platform.
“We are putting additional safeguards in place by expanding our harmful health claims policies for both publishers and advertisers to include dangerous content about a health crisis that contradicts scientific consensus,” said a Google spokesperson.
Google has already updated its ads policy as the coronavirus cases surge in the US and other countries. The change log of Google’s ad policy page says, “In August 2020, the Google Ads Dangerous or derogatory policy will be updated to prohibit content that relates to a current, major health crisis and contradicts authoritative, scientific consensus. Violations of this policy will not lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning. A warning will be issued at least 7 days prior to any suspension of your account. Please review this policy update to determine whether or not any of your ads fall in scope of the policy, and if so, remove those ads before August 18, 2020.”
This effort from Google is also in tandem with other tech giants like Apple, Facebook, and Twitter. Apple’s new policies reject coronavirus-related health apps not recognized by the official health regulators. Twitter and Facebook are also debunking posts promoting coronavirus-related myths and are causing mayhem in this pandemic situation. YouTube is already imposing strict bans on the monetization of medical information.