Yahoo Accepts Anti-Pollution Message Rejected by Google - Oceana

Yahoo Accepts Anti-Pollution Message Rejected by Google

Press Release Date: October 5, 2009

Location: Washington

Contact:

Anna Baxter | email: abaxter@oceana.org
Anna Baxter

Oceana today announced that Yahoo, one of the Internet’s leading search engines, has accepted two of its paid advertisements, one describing Oceana’s mission of saving the oceans and linking to its Web site, the other focusing on Oceana’s campaign to stop cruise pollution.  The same ads created a major media stir last week when they were rejected by Google.

Oceana’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Sharpless, praised Yahoo for not bowing to pressure from big corporate advertisers and allowing Oceana to express its positive message of preserving and protecting the world’s oceans.

“Yahoo should be applauded for having the courage to put freedom of expression before sales.  If Royal Caribbean and the cruise industry can pay to publicize themselves in whichever venue they please, then we deserve to be able to show the facts about their environmental records.  The public has a right to this information, and, much to its credit, Yahoo recognizes that,” said Sharpless.

On February 6th, Oceana placed two advertisements with Google.  Google removed the ads after two days, citing the cruise pollution ad for “language that advocates against Royal Caribbean,” and the general ad for using “language advocating against the cruise line industry and cruisers,” even thought the ad itself made no mention of the cruise industry.  Google’s public editorial guidelines, however, declared no such prohibition, stating only that the company reserves the right to exercise editorial discretion when it comes to the advertising it accepts.

“We hope that Google will reconsider its stance and place our ads,” Sharpless said.  “But we are very pleased that Yahoo has accepted them and that our message will get out despite the apparent efforts to block it.”

Below are images of the ads as they originally appeared on Google:

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