Google Plans To Prohibit Fake-news Websites From Using Ad-selling Software

(RTTNews) - Alphabet Inc.'s (GOOGL, GOOG) Google plans to prohibit fake-news websites from using its ad-selling software.

Google said that it is updating its policies to ban Google ads being placed "on pages that misrepresent, misstate, or conceal information about the publisher, the publisher's content, or the primary purpose" of the website. The policy would include sites that distribute false news.

False news stories, particularly those that spread widely on Facebook Inc.'s social network, became an issue during the recent presidential election. Google experienced its own mishap on Sunday when a false story on a right-wing blog erroneously stating Donald Trump won the popular vote appeared atop some Google search results.

Some media commentators have urged tech companies to try to prevent the spread of such misinformation.

Google's AdSense program, which helps website operators place ads on their sites, is the most popular tool for monetizing websites and helps fund some fake-news sites.