Scoop: Google will block election ads after polls close
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Google will block election ads across all of its platforms after the last polls close on Nov. 5, according to a memo sent to its advertising partners Thursday and obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: The policy, first introduced during the 2020 election, is meant to prevent misinformation about voting, including candidates prematurely claiming victory before a race is called.
- Google is implementing the policy "out of an abundance of caution and to limit the potential for confusion, given the likelihood that votes will continue to be counted after Election Day," per a spokesperson.
Zoom in: In an email to advertising partners, the tech giant said it will pause all ads related to U.S. elections from being served to people in the U.S.
- The policy will apply to any U.S. election ads or ads that refer to U.S. elections, their processes or outcomes.
- Any ads running through Google's ad-serving platforms, which include Google Ads, DV360, YouTube, and Google's Ad Exchange and Shopping ads, will be subject to the pause policy.
The big picture: Tech companies are on high alert this year following the chaotic spread of misinformation around the last presidential election.
- Meta says it will block new political, electoral and social issue ads during the final week of the U.S. election campaign. It hasn't announced any pause of election ads after polls close, but its policies forbid candidates or campaigns from prematurely claiming victory before results.
Between the lines: Google defines U.S. election ads as those placed by someone who holds or is vying for an elected federal, state or territory-level office.
- Ads placed by a federal, state, or territory-level political party or ads that advocate for various initiatives or ballot measures are also included.
- The pause does not include public information campaign ads run by state or federal governments responsible for administering election processes, such as a State Secretaries' office.
Flashback: Google lifted its ban on U.S. election ads last cycle in December, weeks after the presidential election had concluded but ahead of a runoff election in Georgia.
- It re-implemented the ad ban following the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. The ban was lifted in February.
What's next: The pause is expected to conclude in the weeks after Election Day. Advertisers will be notified by Google when the policy is lifted.
