Google to block U.S. election ads after polls close
- Alphabet Inc's GOOGL.O Google will block election-related ads on its platforms after polls close in the U.S.
The email said the company would ban election ads, including those that mention state or federal office-holders, candidates, or political parties, as well as ads running on election-related search queries.
Facebook Inc FB.O recently said it would stop accepting new political ads in the week before the election and would reject ads that seek to claim victory before the results of the election are declared.
A Google spokeswoman said the ban was expected to be in place for a minimum of a week but that it was not decided when the ban would be lifted.
She said the company would consider factors such as the time taken for votes to be counted or whether there was civil unrest.
Google has blocked some ads relating to COVID-19 under the same policy, which seeks to prohibit content that potentially capitalizes on or lacks reasonable sensitivity towards events like public health emergencies or natural disasters.
The ban will apply to all ads on Googles ad-serving platforms, including its video-streaming service YouTube and Google Ads.
Twitter Inc TWTR.N banned political ads last year, while Google has previously limited the ways election advertisers can micro-target voters.
We use cookies and analyse traffic to this site. By continuing to use this site, closing this banner, or clicking "I Agree", you agree to the use of cookies. Read our privacy poplicy for more information.