Google Sets Limits on Addiction Treatment Ads, Citing Safety<br />One witness, according to the grand jury report, described how “online marketers use Google search terms to essentially hijack the good name<br />and reputation of notable treatment providers only to route the caller to the highest bidder.”<br />Another common trap: Addicts search Google for a rehab program close to their home,<br />but they will click on an ad for a referral service pitching treatment in another state.<br />“I am glad Google took steps to prevent the spread of these false ads.”<br />In targeting the ads for addiction treatment, Google consulted with experts including Mr. Williams, who himself has been in recovery for many years.<br />But prosecutors and health advocates have warned that many online searches are leading addicts to click on ads for rehab centers<br />that are unfit to help them or, in some cases, endangering their lives.<br />This week, Google acknowledged the problem — and started restricting ads that come up when someone searches for addiction treatment on its site.<br />Their strategy often included buying an ad that would come up when someone searched for phrases like “drug rehab” or “alcohol treatment centers.”<br />As of this week, Google has stopped selling ads related to those searches, although it<br />may lift the restriction if it can find a way to weed out misleading advertisements.
