The policy prohibits ads that facilitate or promote access to political materials obtained through unauthorized computer intrusion, including materials distributed by third parties rather than the original hacking actor. The prohibition applies to political entities within the scope of Google's Election Ads policies.
This analysis describes what Google Ads's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision extends the prohibition to third-party distributors of hacked political materials, not only original threat actors, which may affect advertisers in news, political commentary, or information aggregation verticals who reference or link to content derived from unauthorized access.
Interpretive note: The scope of covered political entities is defined by reference to Google's Election Ads policies, which are not included in this document, creating uncertainty about the full range of affected advertisers.
Under this clause, advertisers whose ads reference, link to, or facilitate access to political materials obtained through unauthorized computer intrusion, including materials distributed by third parties, are subject to policy enforcement regardless of the advertiser's direct role in the original intrusion.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Hacked Political Materials Prohibition and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →"Ads that directly facilitate or advertise access to hacked material related to political entities within scope of Google's Election Ads policies. This applies to all protected material that was obtained through the unauthorized intrusion or access of a computer, computer network, or personal electronic device, even if distributed by a third party.Excerpt from Google Ads's Prohibited Content Policy
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision interacts with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in the U.S., which governs unauthorized access to computer systems.
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This provision extends the prohibition to third-party distributors of hacked political materials, not only original threat actors, which may affect advertisers in news, political commentary, or information aggregation verticals who reference or link to content derived from unauthorized access.
Under this clause, advertisers whose ads reference, link to, or facilitate access to political materials obtained through unauthorized computer intrusion, including materials distributed by third parties, are subject to policy enforcement regardless of the advertiser's direct role in the original intrusion.
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