Google is reportedly making millions of dollars by promoting ads concerning fake abortion clinics. This could be alarming in some way, given that this practice is illegal in other states across the United States.
Google Ad Revenue Hits $10 Million From 'Fake' Abortion Clinic Ads
The report released by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) alleges that Google has earned over $10 million in the past two years by allowing misleading advertisements for "fake" abortion clinics. These clinics aim to dissuade women from having abortions by providing inaccurate information and promoting unproven abortion pill reversal techniques.
The CCDH report suggests that pro-life groups have been able to reach a wide audience by placing these ads in Google search results for commonly searched phrases related to abortion, according to Gizmodo.
The CCDH used a tool called Semrush to look into this issue. They found 188 websites pretending to be clinics and putting ads on Google. These fake clinics had ads that were clicked on about 13 million times from March 2021 to February of the next year. This means that a lot of people saw and clicked on these misleading ads.
The report highlights instances where individuals searching for "abortion clinics near me" was directed to crisis pregnancy centers, which may employ tactics to discourage individuals from seeking abortions.
Furthermore, the source adds that the Google search space is teeming with related topics about abortion. Some people just type "planned parenthood" and "abortion pill" in the search bar. Compared to states where abortion is banned, the clinics which are currently operating in states where it is legal have spent money twice the normal on promoting the ads.
Speaking of ads, the Supreme Court has laid its eyes on the search engine titan right after the lawmakers overturned the Roe v Wade case in the context of misleading ads, per CNN.
Meanwhile, other Republican senators think that Google needs to test different methods to prevent dubious advertisements from flocking the search engine.
The situation underscored the significant role Google plays in providing information to individuals searching for abortion-related services.
Related Article: Google Accused of Misleading Its Users About How the Company Uses Their Personal Data
Google's Approach to Abortion Ads
In response to the report, Google stated that its approach to abortion ads adheres to local laws. Advertisers targeting keywords or phrases related to abortion must complete a certification process confirming whether they provide abortion services.
Google also prohibits ads promoting abortion reversal treatments and requires advertisers to disclose the services they offer. The company claims to remove or block ads that violate these policies.
Regarding the protection of abortion seekers' location data, Google has faced scrutiny. Senate Democrats raised concerns in May about how Google handles users' location history, particularly when they visit sensitive locations like abortion clinics.
Google's response to the lawmakers' letter referred them to a company blog post that mentions abortion clinics as sensitive locations but does not provide clear information on how data related to these visits is handled.
Outside this health-related topic, Google settled a $9.4 million lawsuit with FTC over its promotional ads for Pixel 4. The 2022 report indicated that the company was paying radio personalities to advertise the said smartphone even though they did not use them.
