Google tweaks advert policy

Two weeks after companies began yanking ads from YouTube because they were popping up next to hateful videos, Google is trying yet again to halt the crisis.

It is introducing a new system that lets outside firms verify ad quality standards on its video service, while expanding its definitions of offensive content. A slew of major marketers halted spending on YouTube and Google’s digital ad network after ads were highlighted running alongside videos promoting hate, violence and racism.

Google’s initial response, a promise of new controls for marketers, failed to stymie the boycott. The crisis ignited a simmering debate in digital advertising over quality assurance, or “brand safety,” standards online.