Google to pause election ads for the national elections in the Philippines in 2022

Google has announced that it will not accept election advertisements in the Philippines during the election campaigns and silence periods, including from February 8, 2022, to May 9, 2022.

Google to pause election ads for the national elections in the Philippines in 2022

“This policy will apply to election advertisements that are purchased through Google Ads, Display and Video 360, and Shopping platforms that advertisers intend to place on Google, YouTube, and partner properties. This includes advertisements that promote or oppose any political party or the candidacy of any person or party for public office,” Google said in its press release.

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.

Under the rules and regulations of the Fair Elections Act for the 2022 elections, “political advertisements” or “election propaganda” refer to “any matter broadcasted, published, printed, displayed or exhibited, in any medium, which contains the name, logo, brand, insignia, and other symbol or graphic representation that is capable of being associated with a candidate, and is exclusively intended to draw the attention of the public or a segment thereof to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, the election of said candidate or candidates to a public office… Political advertising includes endorsements, statements, declaration, or information graphics, appearing on any internet website, social network, blogging site, and micro-blogging site, which when taken as a whole has for its principal object the endorsement of a candidate only, or which were posted in return for consideration or are otherwise capable of pecuniary estimation.”¹

Google’s work towards supporting the elections has already started earlier this year beginning with #MagpaRehistroKa of COMELEC, MullenLowe TREYNA, and Dashboard Philippines. The company supported the voter registration campaign by hosting the website on Google Cloud and promoting it on its social media pages.

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In 2021, Google also launched #YOUTHink magazine both in English and in Cebuano in partnership with CANVAS as part of its commitment to helping fight misinformation through media and information literacy. You may download a PDF copy of the #YOUTHink magazine in either English or Cebuano for free.

1. Source: Philippine News Agency, Google won’t accept campaign ads for PH polls in 2022