UN urges big tech companies to curb programmatic ads to beat misinformation

New Delhi: The United Nations has urged tech companies to adopt business models that don't rely on programmatic advertising to curb the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. 

This recommendation is part of the five Global Principles for Information Integrity launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. 

Jake Dubbins, co-founder of the Conscious Advertising Network, supports this move, calling it "common sense." 

He acknowledges that while programmatic solutions and the desire for engagement are important in advertising, they should not be pursued without considering their negative impacts.

The UN's "healthy incentives" principle advocates for reducing reliance on programmatic advertising, addressing the critical issues arising from revenue models based on targeted ads. 

Although such models have driven significant growth for companies like Google and benefited smaller businesses, they have also been exploited by political and private entities. The UN also calls for increased transparency in ad tech systems, as their opaque design can result in ad budgets unintentionally funding harmful content.