Google to ban fake news websites from using its advertising network AdSense

Following fake news stories flooding the internet during the recent US presidential elections, Google has decided to restrict such websites from using its advertising software. The company said it was working on a fool-proof policy to prevent these websites from garnering any revenue through its network by spreading false information.

AdSense, Google's advertising network, allows advertisers to place text ads on millions of websites that are part of Google's network. The company says it has always prohibited the platform from being used by sites that promote hate speech or include pornography or violent content but its policies previously did not include restrictions on sites that spread false content.

Although the move aims to curb revenue these sites generate from Google's ad network, it still does not address the issue of fake news or hoaxes appearing in Google search results.

Google's decision comes days after criticism poured in over Google search, Twitter and Facebook being used as promotional platforms for spreading false and malicious information which some experts believe may have swayed voters toward Republican candidate Donald Trump. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already come out twice defending his platform in this regard and assured that alleged fake news circulated on Facebook did not influence the outcome of the election.

"Of all the content on Facebook, more than 99% of what people see is authentic," he clarified in a post."Only a very small amount is fake news and hoaxes."