Google, YouTube to pause Eleksyon 2022 ads during campaign, silence periods

Tech giant Google on Wednesday said it will temporarily stop accepting election advertisements related to the 2022 Philippine polls during the campaign and silence periods.

In an advisory, Google said the policy will apply to election advertisements purchased through Google Ads, Display and Video 360, and shopping platforms which are then promoted on Google, YouTube, and partner properties.

The national and local elections are scheduled to be held on May 9, 2022. The campaign period for national candidates starts on February 9 and on March 9 for local candidates.

“Google is focusing its efforts and resources on upcoming election-related initiatives which aim to help people access useful and accurate information via product features and media literacy programs, encourage participation in the voting process, and help protect the integrity of the elections,” the company said.

Google also noted that it is working with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in several initiatives involving the elections, such as the voter registration campaign hosted on Google Cloud.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez on Monday said it is unlikely for the 2022 polls to be canceled due to a COVID-19 surge, but noted that this could be postponed in certain areas.—AOL, GMA News