Google To Suspend Political Ads In South Korea Ahead Of Elections

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Seoul: Google has decided to suspend all politics-related advertisements on its services in South Korea ahead of the general election next month, according to industry sources.

According to the sources, Google recently posted a notice saying that it will not support political ads during South Korea's election period. The decision will apply uniformly across Google services, including YouTube, Google Search and the Google Play Store.

The decision appears to have been made to prevent voters from being exposed to potentially exaggerated or biased content in political advertisements, reports Yonhap news agency. Google also plans to provide links on its homepage guiding users to credible information regarding voting methods and voter registration means.

The company also plans to provide various election-related information panels via YouTube search results related to the election to connect users to credible sources for further information.

The country will go for parliamentary elections on April 10. Early voting for the upcoming elections is slated for April 5-6.

Earlier, Ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections in India, Google introduced a new tool aimed at providing voters with reliable information, safeguarding its platforms against misuse, and assisting users in navigating AI-generated content.

In preparation for the elections, the company collaborates with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to facilitate easy access to crucial voting information via Google Search. This includes guidance on registration and voting procedures, available in both English and Hindi.