Fri, 12/12/2008 - 18:48
CCTV slams Google China for illegal adverts for pharmaceuticals
Shanghai. December 12. INTERFAX-CHINA - CCTV, China's state television broadcaster, accused Google China on Dec. 11 of allowing illegal adverts for pharmaceuticals to be displayed through its search result-linked advertising platform.
CCTV's Morning News reported that advertisements on Google China were found to contain claims over the curative effects of pharmaceutical products in contravention of drug advertising standards issued by the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) in 2007. Under the SFDA guidelines, adverts for pharmaceutical products must have scientific backing, and may not suggest that a drug is "safe with little or no side-effects" nor may they be described as featuring "the latest technology".
Google China responded to the report with a statement on the site's official blog the same day, in which the company said that it has a policy of following both international and regional advertising laws. "In China, Google's ads will be reviewed, both electronically and by humans. In addition, we conduct spot-checks on our ads and delete ads that have slipped the net," Google China said.
When contacted by Interfax, an ad sales representative for QingDao Aiso Advertising Co. Ltd., one of Google China's official advertising agents, said that any Web site selling drugs in China must have a license issued by the SFDA and that companies displaying these adverts are required to remove any content that contravenes China's drug advertising laws. However, the sales rep conceded that for a company that carries as many advertisements as Google China, monitoring the wording of all ads is almost impossible for humans, while the lack of a ban on specific words means that many adverts can slip the net despite electronic checks.
Google China finds itself in the broadcaster's sights just weeks after rival search engine Baidu.com took a public mauling over its cash-for-rankings method of displaying search results.
Following the airing of a program by CCTV in which Baidu was accused of selectively showing advertising results depending on how much companies paid, as well as publishing illegal advertisements, the company issued a public apology and promised to stop listing search results for pharmaceutical companies without drug marketing licenses.
On Dec. 11, Baidu lowered its fourth quarter revenue forecast by around 14 percent to between RMB 890 million ($131 million) and RMB 900 million ($133 million). Baidu said the adjustment is partly due to the effects of the economic slowdown on its business, and partly due to the loss of some advertising business after the accusation.
Google China is yet to announce that it is removing any advertisements as a result of the program.
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