As the furor caused by the role of online ads in the 2016 US presidential elections continues, Google is the latest tech company taking measures to make sure that all political ads run on its ad network will be transparent.
The last thing any of the big tech companies wants is to be implicated in another scandal related to the involvement of bad actors in elections – in the US or elsewhere. As a result, ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, Google is following Facebook in the transparency of political ads on its ads network. In a blog post late last week, Google’s senior vice president Kent Walker clarified Google’s efforts to verify buyers of political ads and to be transparent about who they are and how much they spend.
With regards to the US midterms coming up soon, Walker explained that in order to publish political ads, Google will now be requiring an advertiser to “confirm they are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, as required by law.” They can do this either with a government ID, or “other key information.” What the latter actually means, is unclear at this time.
Further to these measures, Google will be creating Transparency Reports that will tell interested parties who actually bought political ads and how much they spend on them. The reports will be published and made accessible to anyone who wants to find it.
This is not the first time Google does something to counter election interference. The Jigsaw Protect Your Elections toolkit is another.
You might also like
More from Google
Area 120 Launches Google Fundo, A Virtual Events Platform For Creators
Google's Area 120 has announced the expansion of its Fundo virtual events platform to all creators in the US and …
How To Install Google Maps On The Apple Watch
Three years after leaving it, Google Maps is making its come back on the Apple Watch with a new version …
Google Now Allows Sharing To Non-Google Accounts On G Suite
Google now lets G Suite users collaborate with non-Google account users in Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Sites.
Google Makes It Easier To Find Licensable Images In Search
Google is adding a new "licensable" badge to images for which a publisher or creator provides licensing information.
You Can Now Cast Google Meet And Duo Video Calls To Your TV
Google is rolling out the ability to cast your Google Meet and Duo video calls directly to your TV and …
Google Makes It Easier To Find Jobs, Recipes And Products On Search
Following the launch of activity cards last year, Google is now updating them to focus on jobs, recipes, and online …
Google Launches Search Console Insights Tool For Content Creators
Google has launched a new Search Console Insights tool to help content creators make informed decisions to improve their content.
Google Introduces People Cards, Virtual Visiting Cards Feature In Search
Google introduced a new "virtual visiting cards" feature called people cards. It's now available on Google Search in India.
Google Simplifies Image Requirements For App Ad Campaigns
Google has announced it will start shifting away from size-based to ratio-based image specifications later in the year.
