Update Coming to Google’s Inappropriate Content Policy for Sensitive Events in October 2020

In October 2020, Google will update the Inappropriate content policy for Sensitive events.  With this policy update  the following will not be allowed:

❌ Ads that potentially profit from a sensitive event with significant social, cultural, or political impact, such as civil emergencies, natural disasters, public health emergencies, terrorism and related activities, conflict, and/or mass acts of violence

Examples (non-exhaustive): Appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to users; price gouging or artificially inflating prices that prohibits/restricts access to vital supplies; sale of products or services which may be insufficient for the demand during a sensitive event; using keywords related to a sensitive event to attempt to drive additional traffic

❌ Ads that claim victims of a sensitive event were responsible for their own tragedy or similar instances of victim blaming; ads that claim victims of a sensitive event are not deserving of remedy or support

Examples (non-exhaustive): Ads which claim victims from certain countries were responsible or deserving of a global public health crisis

The new policy will be in effect starting from October 1st, 2020.