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UK government and media pull ads from YouTube over extremist videos
July 05, 2025
The UK government as well as popular UK media such asThe Guardianand the BBC have removed their ads from YouTube amidst concerns that they are appearing next to extremist videos.
American tech companies are facing tight scrutiny in Europeover their ineffective regulation of hateful and inappropriate content online, and Google is no exception. The UK government has decided to remove its ads altogether from YouTube over concerns that they were appearing right next to extremist videos promoting inappropriate and often violent behavior.
The Cabinet Office wants to make sure that YouTube and its owner Google take responsibility and display its messages in a “safe and appropriate way” in the future:
In addition to the government, major UK media corporations have also followed suit, includingThe Guardian,Channel 4, and the BBC.The Guardianwithdrew all advertising from Google and YouTube after one of its promotions was placed next to videos of American white nationalists, a hate preacher banned from the UK, and a controversial Islamist extremist preacher. Other companies cite similar cases where their content was displayed alongside hateful and inappropriate material.
Google has reassured that it would review its controls and that it was committed to doing better:
However, UK MPs don’t seem satisfied with Google’s simple sorry-we-messed-up rhetoric. They have summoned Google for talks in the UK to demand higher standards. Given the fact that companies like Google make billions each year, it seems logical to demand better policing so that they don’t promulgate of hateful extremist content or fake news.
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