According to a revelation by Axios, the Kamala Harris presidential campaign is manipulating headlines from major media to look as though publishers are supporting her.
According to the article, the Trump team is not currently using this technique, despite other candidates having done so in the past.
Axios published samples of the altered headlines and content that followed them. In one instance, the text underneath the headline stated, “VP Harris is a champion for reproductive freedom and will halt Trump’s abortion bans,” while the title read, “VP Harris Fights Abortion Bans – Harris Defends Repro Freedom.”
One had an altered title that said, “Harris Will Lower Health Costs,” with additional text that said, “Kamala Harris will lower the cost of high-quality, affordable health care.”
The links on the advertisements go to the original, unedited news articles with their headlines.
The structure of the advertisements may deceive readers, according to Axios, even if the technique does not violate Google guidelines.
In a statement, a Google spokeswoman said, “We prominently display in-ad disclaimers that clearly indicate individuals who paid for the ad.” Election advertisers are required to undergo an identity verification procedure.”
The Guardian confirmed to Axios that they were investigating the practice through a representative.
“Although we understand a company’s desire to align itself with the reputable Guardian brand, we must ensure its proper utilization and consent.” For further details about this behavior, we’ll be contacting Google,” the spokeswoman stated.
Some brands claimed not to be aware of the campaign’s advertisements.
Axios issued a warning, claiming that the approach left platforms vulnerable to claims of covert bias in favor of the Harris campaign.
