The UK government and the Guardian newspaper stepped up pressure on YouTube to police content that appears on its platform, pulling ads from the video site because they appeared beside clips they view as inappropriate.

Ads appeared “next to extremist and hate filled videos,” prompting Guardian News & Media to stop all advertising through YouTube parent Google, the British publisher said in an emailed statement Friday. The UK government said it suspended advertising on YouTube until the site can ensure they’re not placed next to content it doesn’t approve of.

“Google is responsible for ensuring the high standards applied to government advertising are adhered to and that adverts do not appear alongside inappropriate content,” the government said in an emailed statement. “We have placed a temporary restriction on our YouTube advertising pending reassurances from Google that government messages can be delivered in a safe and appropriate way.”

The boycott signals a growing backlash against so-called programmatic trading, which automates the buying and selling of advertising online, and social media providers that are seen to not be doing enough to tackle hate disseminated on their platforms. Britain’s government said it summoned Google for discussions to explain how it can guarantee the state’s demands are met.

Google said it has strict guidelines defining where ads should appear and that “in the vast majority of cases” the policies work as intended. “We accept that we don’t always get it right, and that sometimes, ads appear where they should not. We’re committed to doing better, and will make changes to our policies and brand controls for advertisers,” the company said in an emailed statement.

Ads by the government and the newspaper featured alongside content from the likes of white nationalist David Duke and pastor Steven Anderson, who praised the killing of 49 people in a gay nightclub, the Times of London reported Friday.

The Guardian said it would be withdrawing its advertising until Google could provide guarantees that the ad misplacement wouldn’t happen in future.

“It is completely unacceptable that Google allows advertising for brands like the Guardian to appear next to extremist and hate-filled videos,” Guardian News & Media said

source : gulfnews