# 'Big brotherish' Google cancels charity's campaigning ads

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2004/02/16/039big-brotherish039-google-cancels-charity039s-campaigning-ads/
- Published: 2004-02-16T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**International environmental organisation Oceana says that search engine Google
has refused to publish its paid-for advert to promote its “stop cruise pollution”
campaign because it contained “language critical of the cruise industry”.**

Search engine Google has for a few years been an essential tool in promoting a Web
site, whether through its free listings or paid-for keyword-related text adverts.
Charities have benefited from its free public service announcement spaces, and some
have paid to ensure their text ads appear when certain words are searched for at
the site.

Now it appears that Google will not accept certain charity adverts, particularly
if they campaign against the activities of companies. Oceana bought two Google AdWords
adverts, one of them a general advert to promote their main Web site, and another
to help raise awareness of their ongoing campaign to stop cruise pollution. Two 
days after the ads started running, “Google shut them down”. Oceana say that Google
explained the cancellation because the adverts linked to sites that contained “language
critical of Royal Caribbean”, a cruise ship company, and “language critical of the
cruise industry.” Needless to say, Oceana was not happy with this and criticised
Google for its “misguided, Big Brotherish policy.”

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Oceana claims that it can’t find anything in the Google’s terms and conditions that
could explain this rejection, except the catch-all clause in their Editorial Guidelines
that entitles them to act to “Maintain Google Standards.”

The nonprofit concludes: “So what are you allowed and not allowed to say in a Google
ad? What companies are you prohibited from criticizing? Who knows?”

Clearly nonprofits and charities from time to time publicise messages that criticise
companies and governments. Will Google no longer accept adverts promoting these 
campaigns? Are they doing so for reasons of editorial integrity, to protect themselves
from accusations of libel, or because the companies criticised are likely to have
a higher advertising spend than their nonprofit critics? If this issue concerns 
you then you can support Oceana in its online campaign to ask Google to explain 
its policy.

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