Following an unfortunate incident on YouTube, in which an ad from The Guardian was displayed on an extremist video, leading to several publishers withdrawing their ads from Google"s ad network, the web giant plans to introduce new ad filters that will allow advertisers to select the content against which their ads will appear, thus avoiding any unpleasant surprises.
There"s no denying that Google is trying to fix the seemingly uncontrollable online advertising scene with several new initiatives like the new Chrome that automatically blocks ads and a more stringent and effective ads review method.
The new filters are the latest countermeasure and, as The Times reports, they will bring more parameters which advertisers can use to further customize and carefully select where their ads will be showcased. The new system will be able to assess the type of online content and identify if it falls under the category of violence, nudity or political satire.
This way, publishers will be able to optimize their ad placement and block certain types of online content that would be harmful to their brand, thus eliminating any chances of their ad appearing in the wrong context - for example, next to a piece of edgy political satire, or a music video that contains highly sexual and provocative scenes.
The new filters are expected to become available by the end of the year. In the dawn of major advancements in virtual reality, where users will be served ads in an immersive virtual world, the new safeguards seem to be a necessary step in the right direction.