Live data from Hacker News

Google will stop serving political ads in the EU, including on YouTube

engadget.com

1–10 of 109 posts

Re: Google will stop serving political ads in the EU, including on YouTube

#3

After living in 2 EU countries and the UK for decades, I don't think I've ever seen a political ad on any Google product (and even overall?). It's probably a very minor impact to Google's ad bottom line.

Same here. I also wonder who would even target their political ads at european audiences.

Re: Google will stop serving political ads in the EU, including on YouTube

#6
post #4

Less poltical information from fewer sources equals incumbent protection. This is a regression for democracy and an advance for oligarchy.

Can't uploaders still post political videos?

Based on the political ads I've seen over the years, people are better off hearing from non-paid sources.

Re: Google will stop serving political ads in the EU, including on YouTube

#7
post #3

After living in 2 EU countries and the UK for decades, I don't think I've ever seen a political ad on any Google product (and even overall?). It's probably a very minor impact to Google's ad bottom line.

Same here. I also wonder who would even target their political ads at european audiences.

EU countries have elections, too.

Re: Google will stop serving political ads in the EU, including on YouTube

#8
post #4

Less poltical information from fewer sources equals incumbent protection. This is a regression for democracy and an advance for oligarchy.

Interesting, why do you think so?

I feel like paid, targeted ads on platforms everyone uses are extremely insidous, because an incumbent or major political party will always have more funds than an e.g. an upstart party, and targeting is generally bad as it's easy to play into people's preconceived notions that way, instead of presenting your position or the change you advocate for.

Edit: replaced "incumbent" with "incumebt or major political party"

Re: Google will stop serving political ads in the EU, including on YouTube

#9
post #4

Less poltical information from fewer sources equals incumbent protection. This is a regression for democracy and an advance for oligarchy.

I don't know, watching how USA's elections unfold with ads I don't see much real information, it's a whole lot of noise with ads not beholden to any kind of truth. One can claim anything in those ads, attack politicians not even based on what they say or what their platform states as far as it's not clear cut libel and/or defamation, plaster some fearmongering and lies on an ad and run with it to damage opponents.

The less noise there's for this kind of bullshit, the better. I'm really happy that every place I've lived so far doesn't have more sources of noise during elections.

Re: Google will stop serving political ads in the EU, including on YouTube

#10
post #4

Less poltical information from fewer sources equals incumbent protection. This is a regression for democracy and an advance for oligarchy.

"Information" is not what's being presented in YouTube ads. And non-incumbents/non-oligarchs can't afford to run those ads anyways.
Post reply on HN