Google Banned Industries

Do you ever consider how Big Tech is imposing its worldview on us and controlling business outcomes for brands? The tech giants are increasingly encroaching on our personal freedoms and our ability to achieve success professionally. As our daily lives become digitized, the internet serves as the access point for the information, products, and services that we need.

This access point is no longer democratized and has been hijacked by Big Tech. With Big Tech in control of the internet, certain industries and specific businesses are operating at a disadvantage. The reach of their advertising campaigns is severely limited by decisions made within the walled gardens of Google. Meanwhile, more ethical and democratic solutions are possible, and the advertising industry has the potential to help everyday people reclaim control of our digital society.

It is scary to consider that Google, one of the most powerful companies in the world, controls our access to information and the platforms we use to communicate and share ideas. The power and influence of this single tech monopoly can be felt across many aspects of our daily lives. From the content you see in the search results, to the information being tracked and sold to third-parties, Google is at the heart of surveillance capitalism and it’s no secret.

The most dominant area of influence is their overbearing control of digital advertising. Search Ads are the driving force behind Google’s ascension to power and account for over 70% of its annual revenue. The fact that search ads are Google’s primary profit center is what allows them to offer free products like Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, and more.

Google is unafraid to ban industries from advertising on its platform. Considering how many people use Google, it’s obvious how businesses are impacted by limited access to the world’s most prominent digital advertising platform. Certain industries are kneecapped, as their access to advertising is denied, which results in the tipping of scales and manipulation of the market.

Cannabis, Cryptocurrency, and Alternative Healthcare are all emerging industries that have demonstrated rapid growth and excitement among consumers and investors. Yet, Google is still controlling the advertising potential within these developing industries. In order to free up businesses that operate within these industries, it is critical that Google and Facebook act in a balanced manner.

While compliance with government regulations is of the utmost importance, we as global citizens and professionals in the advertising industry must apply critical thought to the ways in which Google exhibits control. It is our responsibility to hold Big Tech accountable, as its power has become unwieldy. This begins with the media buyers who are spending a majority of their ad budgets on platforms like Google and Facebook.