Google Restricts Ads for Addiction Treatment

Google has announced it is restricting ads for addiction treatment. “We found a number of misleading experiences among rehabilitation treatment centers that led to our decision,” a company spokeswoman said.

Prosecutors and health advocates have warned that many online searches for addiction treatment lead people to click on ads for rehab centers that are not suited to help them, or may even endanger their lives, according to The New York Times. Many rehab centers buy ads that would come up when someone searched for phrases such as “alcohol treatment centers” or “drug rehab.”

“This is a bold move by one of the world’s biggest companies, saying people’s lives are more important than profit,” said Greg Williams, co-founder of the advocacy group Facing Addiction.