Google In Spotlight Over Bad Ads

Google is well-known for its AdWords program. When a company is willing to pay big per click prices for their home loan or credit repair ad spots, it comes as no surprise that some dubious ads slip by, reports USA Today.

That comes after the U.S. Department of Justice today hit Google with a $500 million sanction for enabling AdWords ads promoting illegal pharmaceutical drugs.

“Google has a very a big incentive to turn a blind eye to all sorts of sketchy and even illegal advertising,” says John Simpson, spokesman for Consumer Watchdog. “That was clearly the case with these illegal drug ads. There are problems with other types of ads, too.”

Microsoft and Yahoo also use online advertising systems that work much like AdWords, and should be scrutinized, too, he says.

“These dubious ads continue to be a problem with Google as well as other online companies,” says Simpson. “Perhaps this settlement will serve as a wake-up call for the industry and they will act more responsibly.”

Screenshot from Google Search

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