this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2024
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Back In mid-January, Mara Kronenfeld was googling the name of the nonprofit she runs, which raises money in the US on behalf of the leading humanitarian aid provider in Gaza. Atop the search results for her organization—UNRWA USA, partner to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)—she saw a surprising ad. It read like a promo from the UN agency, but the link directed to an Israeli government website. Kronenfeld says she had found the beginnings of a months-long online advertising campaign by Israel to discredit and defund UNRWA.

After seeing the ads—paid for by the Israeli Government Advertising Agency, according to details shown when clicking on the menu button beside them—Kronenfeld and her staff of seven quickly appealed to Google for help fighting what they viewed as a misinformation campaign. What has happened since shows the delicate relationship Google has kept with its advertising client, Israel, and the limits of the company’s policing of alleged misinformation in ads.

Several current and former Google employees tell WIRED the anti-UNRWA campaign is just one volley of ads that Israel has orchestrated in recent months that have drawn complaints both inside and outside of the company. The ads about UNRWA and another campaign targeting the Middle East have not been previously reported.

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[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 50 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Google is taking money to defend genocide.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 42 points 2 weeks ago

What has happened since shows the ~~delicate~~ servile relationship Google has kept with its advertising client, the fascist apartheid state Israel

Fixed it for them.

[–] FrenchThrowAway@jlai.lu 37 points 2 weeks ago

This is why political ads should not be allowed (and why they aren't in numerous countries)

[–] Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works 20 points 2 weeks ago

One more reason to try to ditch Google, Apple, Microsoft and the others..

[–] 0x0@programming.dev 7 points 2 weeks ago

Perhaps if the US would embargo Israel instead of selling weapons things would be a little bit different, but nooooo... Israel's not communist, so it's ok.

[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I don't know what is so surprising about this to people.

US company sees money on the table.... takes money 💰.

This is the only transaction that is happening. Nothing else.

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 29 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Google is running a blatant disinformation campaign to manufacture consent for Genocide. That's slightly past the point of showing off a new Ninja Airfryer.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, because if they were accepting ads from the Russian government, Hamas, Hezbollah, or ISIS, nobody would bat an eye, right? 🙄