Google bans ads with coronavirus conspiracy theories

Google is stepping up its fight against coronavirus-related misinformation. The company prohibits advertising that

"[contradicts] the scientific consensus" onpandemic. Google hopes that third-party sites and applications will not be able to make money by advertising about conspiracy theories. These include claims that the virus was created in a Chinese laboratory, that the pandemic is a hoax and that Bill Gates is behind it.

As noted by Bloomberg, Google will begin to applynew rule in August 2020. Live moderators and AI will be used to detect such ads. If users violate the rule many times, they will be banned from posting ads on Google resources. As explained by company representatives, the new rule expands the company's policy against "harmful ads" - they have already banned advertising of drugs for coronavirus.

“We are introducing additional rules: we have noticed that a large number of advertisements are misleading to users. We have included in this list dangerous health content that is contrary to scientific consensus. "

In April, Google announced thatis investing $6.5 million to combat coronavirus-related misinformation to prevent the further spread of false news. Other platforms have also taken steps to combat false claims about COVID-19.

In particular, the App Store does not appearapplications related to coronavirus that are not owned by official organizations. Twitter has banned posts about coronavirus drugs, and Facebook debunks pandemic myths at its COVID-19 clearinghouse.

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