BBC: Google Accepted Ads for Illegal Products

Ads pitched London 2012 Olympic tickets and fake ID cards.

Google has been found accepting advertising for and profiting from illegal products and services through its automated AdWords program.

A BBC investigation found Google’s AdWords advertised links to unofficial London 2012 Olympics ticket resellers, as well as sites selling cannabis and fake ID cards.

The BBC said Google plans to keep the revenue it makes from advertising illegal services, even if they have to be taken down following police requests. Google told V3 that it has already taken down some of the “violating Olymics ads.”

The BBC investigation was launched after illegal Olympic tickets were found at the top of Google searches and members of the U.K. public were fooled into buying tickets that did not exist.

The London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act makes it illegal to sell tickets to the Olympics without authorization from the London Organizing Committee.

Google’s AdWords program is partly automated, but keywords on ads are filtered to protect customers from illegal products and services.

“We have a set of policies covering which ads can and cannot show on Google. These policies and guidelines are enforced by both automated systems and human beings,” Google said in a statement to V3.

“When we are informed of ads which break our policies, we investigate and remove them if appropriate.”

This article was originally published on V3.

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers

US Mobile Streaming Behavior
Whitepaper | Mobile

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

5y

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...

View resource
Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups
Whitepaper | Analyzing Customer Data

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

5y

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics f...

Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...

View resource
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people
Whitepaper | Digital Marketing

Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its peopl...

2y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...

View resource
Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy
Report | Digital Transformation

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

1m

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Exp...

Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...

View resource