Google, the primary revenue driver for Alphabet Inc., announced changes to its advertising policies after major brands pulled ads from the platform because they appeared alongside offensive content, such as videos promoting terrorism or anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n
The U.S. company said in a blog post Friday it would give clients more control over where their ads appear on both YouTube, the video-sharing service it owns, and the Google Display Network, which posts advertising to third-party websites.<\/p>\n
The announcement came after the U.K. government and the Guardian newspaper pulled ads from the video site, stepping up pressure on YouTube to police content on its platform.<\/p>\n
France\u2019s Havas SA, the world\u2019s sixth-largest advertising and marketing company, pulled its U.K. clients\u2019 ads from Google and YouTube on Friday after failing to get assurances from Google that the ads wouldn\u2019t appear next to offensive material. <\/p>\n
Those clients include wireless carrier O2, Royal Mail Plc, government-owned British Broadcasting Corp., Domino\u2019s Pizza and Hyundai Kia, Havas said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur position will remain until we are confident in the YouTube platform and Google Display Network\u2019s ability to deliver the standards we and our clients expect,\u201d said Paul Frampton, chief executive officer and country manager for Havas Media Group UK.<\/p>\n
Later, the parent company Havas said it would not take any action outside the U.K., and called its U.K. unit\u2019s decision \u201ca temporary move.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Havas Group will not be undertaking such measures on a global basis,\u201d a Havas spokeswoman wrote in an email. \u201cWe are working with Google to resolve the issues so that we can return to using this valuable platform in the U.K.\u201d<\/p>\n
The decision to pull ads from Google followed a Times of London investigation that revealed ads from many large companies and the U.K. government appeared alongside content from the likes of white nationalist David Duke and pastor Steven Anderson, who praised the killing of 49 people in a gay nightclub.<\/p>\n
Google made $7.8 billion in advertising revenue in the U.K. in 2016, accounting for 8.6 percent of the company\u2019s total sales.<\/p>\n
The boycott signals a growing backlash against so-called programmatic trading, which automates the buying and selling of advertising online, and social media providers that are seen to not be doing enough to tackle hate disseminated on their platforms.<\/p>\n
Online Clash<\/strong> Martin Sorrell, the founder and chief executive officer of WPP, the global advertising firm, said in a statement that Google and Facebook have \u201cthe same responsibilities as any media company\u201d and could not \u201cmasquerade\u201d as mere technology platforms.<\/p>\n He said WPP\u2019s GroupM, a major ad buyer, was talking to Google \u201cat the highest levels to encourage them to find answers to these brand safety issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Ronan Harris, Google\u2019s U.K. managing director, said in the blog post that Google removed nearly 2 billion offensive ads from its platforms last year and also blacklisted 100,000 publishers from the company\u2019s ad sense program. Despite this, Harris wrote, \u201cwe don\u2019t always get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n Harris said Google had \u201cheard from our advertisers loud and clear that we can provide simpler, more robust ways to stop their ads from showing against controversial content.\u201d<\/p>\n Policy Review<\/strong> Ads appeared \u201cnext to extremist and hate-filled videos,\u201d prompting Guardian News & Media to stop all advertising through YouTube parent Google, the British publisher said in an emailed statement Friday. The U.K. government said it suspended advertising on YouTube until the site can ensure they\u2019re not placed next to content it doesn\u2019t approve of.<\/p>\n \u201cGoogle is responsible for ensuring the high standards applied to government advertising are adhered to and that adverts do not appear alongside inappropriate content,\u201d the U.K. government said in an emailed statement. \u201cWe have placed a temporary restriction on our YouTube advertising pending reassurances from Google that government messages can be delivered in a safe and appropriate way.\u201d<\/p>\n Britain, Germany<\/strong> British supermarket chain J Sainsbury Plc., whose ads appeared on videos posted by the white nationalist Polish Defence League, said it and its sister brand Argos would immediately suspend all Google advertising. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is unacceptable that Google is allowing our ads to be placed alongside these videos on YouTube,\u201d the company said in an emailed statement. It said it was seeking \u201curgent assurances\u201d from Google that the problems were being addressed.<\/p>\n The Guardian said it would be withdrawing its advertising until Google could provide guarantees that the ad misplacement wouldn\u2019t happen in future.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is completely unacceptable that Google allows advertising for brands like the Guardian to appear next to extremist and hate-filled videos,\u201d Guardian News & Media said.<\/p>\n L\u2019Oreal, the cosmetics brand, said it was unaware that ads it was running in connection with the Prince\u2019s Trust, a charity founded by Prince Charles that helps train disadvantaged young people for work, were appearing on YouTube channels associated with extremists.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are horrified that our campaign \u2014 which is the total antithesis of this extreme, negative content \u2014 could be seen in connection with them,\u201d the company said in a statement. L\u2019Oreal said it planned to work more closely with Google to make sure it didn\u2019t happen again.<\/p>\n Follow Us<\/p>\n
\nMedia-buying firms are also increasingly resentful of the power wielded by Google and Facebook Inc., claiming the two companies operate a global duopoly over online advertising. The controversy about ads appearing in inappropriate contexts may give these media buyers leverage in negotiations with the social media giants.<\/p>\n
\nThe company will now review its policies and said it would be making changes \u201cin the coming weeks\u201d to help customers stop their ads appearing on objectionable websites or against offensive videos, Harris said.<\/p>\n
\nBritain\u2019s government said it summoned Google for discussions to explain how it can guarantee the state\u2019s demands are met, while on Tuesday Germany threatened to fine social networks such as Facebook as much as 50 million euros ($53 million) if they fail to give users the option to complain about hate speech and fake news or refuse to remove illegal content.<\/p>\n