Google to Require Verification of Advertisers

According to the New York Times, in response to a number of disinformation campaigns related to the Corona Virus, Google will require perspective advertisers to verify that they are who they say they are. This policy is an expansion of their already existing policy regarding the verification of the identity of political advertisements.

Google has stated that they will begin with the verification of US companies before expanding the verification process internationally. They will be verifying thousands of companies per month but have already predicted that it will take them years before they are able to get to the international stage.

This is a good example of both security and ethics in IST. Because of the malicious intent of small parties, Google now has to spend a lot of resources to change their advertisement process to ensure their advertisements can be trustworthy.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/business/media/google-advertising.html

8 thoughts on “Google to Require Verification of Advertisers

  1. I think this is a good step for Google and an important trend for all large advertising companies to follow. After the shock of the Edward Snowden leaks in 2013, public outrage died down pretty quickly and business went back to usual. But since then, there has been a slow but noticeable growth in how much the public cares about their data, their privacy, and their online presence. With big news stories like Cambridge Analytica, Mark Zuckerberg testifying before congress, and Huawei being banned in the US, people are becoming much more aware of how important their data is.

    While this seems like a small, localized action taken by Google, I think it is more indicative of larger trends in how these large companies are now under more scrutiny to do the “ethical” thing instead of the the thing that pleases their shareholders the most.

    Source: https://www.blog.google/products/ads/advertiser-identity-verification-for-transparency/

  2. “If it’s on the internet it must be true”. How many of you heard that saying? If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years is that not everything posted online is true. When I read the above blog my curiosity was peaked so I look into Google’s verification requirements a little deeper. According to a blog written by Scott Spenser VP of Product Management , Ads Privacy and Safety, 2.7 BILLION bad ads per minute were blocked and removed in 2019. This does not count the million or so accounts suspended for policy violations. This is an exceptionally large amount of blocked bad information just by Google. No wonder we don’t know who to believe anymore. Google’s extra security has helped to eliminate many threats including phishing. Phishing are ads that are created to trick users into providing personal information under false pretenses. This information is then used by others to create false accounts, passports, bank accounts etc.. Hopefully more online companies follow suit and add extra layers of security. With the extra security the internet would become a much more safer and reliable tool.

    https://blog.google/products/ads/stopping-bad-ads-to-protect-users/

  3. I like the ethical stance Google is taking when thinking about verifying advertising companies. This can greatly combat the distribution of what we know today as “Fake news.” I also feel that this was an essential step to take because Google generates a majority of their revenue through advertisements therefore it is essential for them to make sure their primary means of making money is done properly and in the most ethical fashion as possible. One concern I do have when it come to verifying companies is how they will treat smaller lesser known companies in this process. Logically it will be easier to verify larger more established companies but this verification process should not be something that regresses the progress of the smaller and less established advertisement companies.

  4. Nowadays privacy and securities are important, as technology advances people are more focusing on details. Google requiring verificatiion of advertisers and important because people have rights to know whether the advertisement/advertisers are legit or not. This is definetly benefit the users and wil help prevent scams and other issues. Hopefully this should be a trigger for majority of other platforms to do so, i believe this was smart move by Google.

  5. In relation to identity verification, I feel like that a lot of websites, not only google want verification. For example, Penn State is creating a mandatory policy that students must enroll in Two-Factor Authentication by May 12th. Essentially, you have to download an app on your phone called “Duo Mobile” and then connect it to your Penn State ID/account. This will make sure that you and only you can access anything related to school that needs a username and password to log in. When you go to log in it will send a notification to the app on your phone and you will have to press allow in order to be able to log in. I believe a lot of companies will start to do something similar to this because nowadays the internet can have a lot of security and privacy issues. Although it is annoying to verify myself every time I log in, I do feel safer and more secure with my information.

    Source: https://news.psu.edu/story/614404/2020/04/07/administration/students-reminded-enroll-two-factor-authentication-protect

  6. Google requiring verification of advertisers is a great idea and could help many, but in reality I do not think it will change much. It is not just false advertisers on social media providing false information about Covid-19, it is also news sources, politicians, doctors, even the president of the United States. No one knows the correct amount of positive cases, deaths, or people who have overcome the virus. Also according to Adits Robertson on The Verge, this could take Google years to implement anyway.

    Therefore, this is a great example of ethics in IST because people are in fact using technology in the wrong ways by providing false information. According to Ashley Strevel who is a spokeswoman for the city of Victoria, said on the Victoria VA Advocate website that the more people that spread misinformation about the virus, the more fear there is within communities. So if Google can stop it at the source like Marcelo has stated above but in a timely manner, this can help the spread of that false information and help the fear that people have. It can also improve ethics in IST.

    https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/covid-19/as-coronavirus-spreads-so-does-false-information/article_0ee01cc0-6d1c-11ea-87b6-130a363e35a1.html
    https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/23/21232572/google-advertisement-identity-country-origin-verification-announcement

  7. I feel as though this is a very important topic, and I’m glad that you provided an article that touched on it. For my Comm 492 class, I am currently working on my term paper, and my topic is privacy and surveillance / cybersecurity. From doing lots of research along the way, I have been exposed to the weaknesses of the internet and have seen how easily someone’e identity can be taken from them with the smallest piece of information. I’ve also come across articles that state 2020 is predicted to be one of the worst years in regards to cybersecurity. Technology is innovating, so it’s important to be cautious, thorough, and protective. Great move by Google.

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