Disir
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- Sep 30, 2011
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Google is temporarily halting advertisements worldwide for addiction and rehabilitation centers, following a report last week showing it was acting as a platform for shady referral services earning huge undisclosed commissions.
Essentially these ads, which commanded huge prices on Google’s networks, would show for people seeking addiction treatment; the help lines and services listed would then refer the person to an addiction center. These centers were, unknown to their new patients, paying enormous finders fees to the referral services, on the order of tens of thousands of dollars.
The company announced the decision to ban this practice globally in a statement issued to TechCrunch:
Substance abuse is a growing crisis and even as we’ve helped healthcare providers connect with people who need help, unfortunately there’s also been a rise in deceptive practices from bad actors taking advantage of those in need. This is a complex issue with varying degrees of regulation in different countries, which is why we’ve decided to suspend ads in the entire addiction treatment center category globally while we consult with experts to find a better way to connect people with the treatment they need.
Google temporarily bans addiction center ads globally following exposure of seedy referral deals
It's on hold until they can figure out a way to still bank and look pc.
Essentially these ads, which commanded huge prices on Google’s networks, would show for people seeking addiction treatment; the help lines and services listed would then refer the person to an addiction center. These centers were, unknown to their new patients, paying enormous finders fees to the referral services, on the order of tens of thousands of dollars.
The company announced the decision to ban this practice globally in a statement issued to TechCrunch:
Substance abuse is a growing crisis and even as we’ve helped healthcare providers connect with people who need help, unfortunately there’s also been a rise in deceptive practices from bad actors taking advantage of those in need. This is a complex issue with varying degrees of regulation in different countries, which is why we’ve decided to suspend ads in the entire addiction treatment center category globally while we consult with experts to find a better way to connect people with the treatment they need.
Google temporarily bans addiction center ads globally following exposure of seedy referral deals
It's on hold until they can figure out a way to still bank and look pc.
