Google exec apologizes to marketers: ‘We need to do better’
The mea culpa came after brand managers complained that their ads were displayed next to extremist material. Other platforms are facing pressure to remove inappropriate content.
Addressing the crowd at Advertising Week Europe, Matt Brittin—Google’s president of business operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa—said: “This is a good opportunity for me to say sorry, this should not have happened, and we need to do better.”
Client ads appeared on sites that contained “questionable or unsafe content,” according to Havas Group U.K. That prompted the agency to announce that it would put a temporary stop to paying for display ads on Google and YouTube.
Britten also told the crowd:
It’s true that some in the U.K. have seen the issue earlier, but customers … expect the same standards everywhere, so we are having conversations with global players. We have to comply with expectations globally, as well as complying with local law.
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