Google wants to put its powerful targeted advertising system to use in the fight against terrorism.
Soon, those searching for terms related to Islamic extremism will be hit with anti-radicalization propaganda ads aimed at dissuading potential Islamic State (ISIS) recruits. The nonprofits that create these ads will be able to run them at no cost, thanks to Google's grant program.
Google executive Anthony House announced the pilot program before a committee of the UK parliament this week, according to The Guardian.
"We should get the bad stuff down, but it’s also extremely important that people are able to find good information, that when people are feeling isolated, that when they go online, they find a community of hope, not a community of harm,” he said.
A Google spokesperson confirmed the plans to Mashable.
"What was referenced is a pilot Google AdWords Grants program that's in the works right now with a handful of eligible non-profit organizations. The program enables NGOs to place counter-radicalization ads against search queries of their choosing," the company said in a statement.
The initiative consists of two programs — one meant to make sure these viewpoints are more prominent and easy to find, and the other to target them to people searching for things that may hint at potential radicalization.
It's not clear exactly which search terms might mark a potential terrorist, and the company won't reveal its strategy here. Whatever those words might be, Google will not entirely redirect the searcher, but rather use AdWords to serve up ads that give a counter-narrative.
The Obama administration has been working extensively with tech companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter to take on the threat of ISIS. Last month, the heads of major Silicon Valley companies met with the president to discuss ways they could use their platforms to shut out ISIS's widespread media presence on the web.
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