In the run-up to US presidential elections, Kamala Harris’ campaign has been editing news headlines within Google ads to make the news websites appear in her favour without their knowledge, according to Axios report.
Google said that the ads in question do not breach its policies. However, a technical issue in Google’s Ad Library caused some ads to appear as if they were missing the required disclosures when they were displayed.
“Election advertisers are required to complete an identity verification process and we prominently display in-ad disclosures that clearly show people who paid for the ad,” a Google spokesperson said.
Talking about the campaign, Guardian spokesperson said, “While we understand why an organization might wish to align itself with the Guardian’s trusted brand, we need to ensure it is being used appropriately and with our permission. We’ll be reaching out to Google for more information about this practice.”
Representatives from brands like CNN, USA Today, and NPR, whose links were featured in Harris for President ads, said that they were unaware their brands were being used in this manner, Axios reported.
Google’s ad transparency center reported that the Trump campaign is not currently using these types of ads. However, this technique has been employed by poll campaigns in the past.
Google said that the ads in question do not breach its policies. However, a technical issue in Google’s Ad Library caused some ads to appear as if they were missing the required disclosures when they were displayed.
“Election advertisers are required to complete an identity verification process and we prominently display in-ad disclosures that clearly show people who paid for the ad,” a Google spokesperson said.
Talking about the campaign, Guardian spokesperson said, “While we understand why an organization might wish to align itself with the Guardian’s trusted brand, we need to ensure it is being used appropriately and with our permission. We’ll be reaching out to Google for more information about this practice.”
Representatives from brands like CNN, USA Today, and NPR, whose links were featured in Harris for President ads, said that they were unaware their brands were being used in this manner, Axios reported.
Google’s ad transparency center reported that the Trump campaign is not currently using these types of ads. However, this technique has been employed by poll campaigns in the past.
Source : Times of India
