Google helps place ads on sites amplifying coronavirus conspiracies
- Research group the Global Disinformation Index has found that Google placed ads on sites that run baseless claims about Covid-19
- The ads were placed through Google’s automated system for matching marketers with websites
Google has taken aggressive action to scrub coronavirus conspiracies from its news service and YouTube, at a time when social media companies have come under intense scrutiny for their potential to spread dangerous disinformation about the global pandemic.
It has begun labelling misleading videos aimed at US audiences, and has joined with other major internet companies to coordinate a response against what the World Health Organisation has described as an “infodemic”.
But Google is also placing advertisements on websites that publish the theories, helping their owners generate revenue and continue their operations. In at least one instance, Google has run ads featuring a conspiracy theorist it has already banned.
One ad for Veeam, an independent Microsoft 365 backup service, appeared atop one website, which feature an article that includes false claims about Microsoft Corp founder Bill Gates’ charitable efforts on pandemics and vaccines are part of a world domination plot.
A Microsoft Teams ad ran with a French language article that alleged Gates tried to bribe Nigerian lawmakers to vote for a Covid-19 vaccine. An ad for the telecommunications provider O2 showed up on another article linking the virus to 5G mobile networks, a common conspiracy theory. The ads were placed through Google’s automated system for matching marketers with websites.
The Global Disinformation Index, a research group, recently reviewed 49 sites running baseless claims about the coronavirus, including the stories about Gates and 5G networks. Alphabet’s Google placed ads on 84 per cent of them, generating most of the US$135,000 in revenue the sites earned each month, according to the Global Disinformation Index’ estimate.