Kamala Harris Features Ads with False News Headlines – Axios
US Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign has been utilizing Google search ads that direct users to legitimate news articles featuring modified headlines. Read Full Article at RT.com
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Google maintains that labeling these advertisements as “sponsored” is sufficient to prevent voter confusion.
US Vice President Kamala Harris has been utilizing Google search ads that link to authentic news articles, albeit with manipulated headlines and descriptions designed to present the Democratic presidential candidate in a more positive light, as reported by Axios.
Since at least August 3, the Harris campaign has been promoting ads that reference stories from “nearly a dozen” news organizations, including CNN, AP, CBS, NPR, The Guardian, and USA Today, according to the Axios report.
These ads appear to closely imitate actual news outputs, which could potentially mislead users. Axios noted that such strategies are “common practice,” yet pointed out that according to Google’s advertising transparency center, Harris’s competitor, Donald Trump, is not employing similar methods in his online campaign.
The Harris campaign has been modifying news headlines and descriptions in Google search ads to create the impression that outlets such as The Guardian, Reuters, and CBS News are supportive of her, as @sarafischer reports.
Several of the mentioned outlets expressed their surprise, stating they were “unaware” that their brands were being showcased in this manner. A representative from The Guardian indicated that the organization will be “reaching out to Google for more information about this practice.”
On another note, Google asserts that this method does not breach its policies, contending that since the ads are marked as “sponsored,” they remain “easily distinguishable” from authentic search results.
However, the company acknowledged that a supposed “technical glitch” in Google’s Ad Library led to some ads “appearing” to lack the proper disclosures. A Google spokesperson promised an investigation into the glitch, emphasizing that the company has long “provided additional levels of transparency for election ads specifically.”
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
US Vice President Kamala Harris has been utilizing Google search ads that link to authentic news articles, albeit with manipulated headlines and descriptions designed to present the Democratic presidential candidate in a more positive light, as reported by Axios.
Since at least August 3, the Harris campaign has been promoting ads that reference stories from “nearly a dozen” news organizations, including CNN, AP, CBS, NPR, The Guardian, and USA Today, according to the Axios report.
These ads appear to closely imitate actual news outputs, which could potentially mislead users. Axios noted that such strategies are “common practice,” yet pointed out that according to Google’s advertising transparency center, Harris’s competitor, Donald Trump, is not employing similar methods in his online campaign.
The Harris campaign has been modifying news headlines and descriptions in Google search ads to create the impression that outlets such as The Guardian, Reuters, and CBS News are supportive of her, as @sarafischer reports.
Several of the mentioned outlets expressed their surprise, stating they were “unaware” that their brands were being showcased in this manner. A representative from The Guardian indicated that the organization will be “reaching out to Google for more information about this practice.”
On another note, Google asserts that this method does not breach its policies, contending that since the ads are marked as “sponsored,” they remain “easily distinguishable” from authentic search results.
However, the company acknowledged that a supposed “technical glitch” in Google’s Ad Library led to some ads “appearing” to lack the proper disclosures. A Google spokesperson promised an investigation into the glitch, emphasizing that the company has long “provided additional levels of transparency for election ads specifically.”
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
