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Google bans 'harmful' payday loan ads

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By Rebecca Stewart, Trends Editor

May 12, 2016 | 2 min read

Google will no longer allow ads from payday lenders to appear in its search results.

Google bans payday loan ads

The Internet giant has announced that from July it will stop displaying promotions around loans which fall into the short-term high-interest category.

An update to Google's AdWords policy means the search behemoth will stop showing ads for loans due within 60 days, or with an interest rate of 36 per cent or above.

Writing in a blog, the firm's global product policy director David Graff said: "This change is designed to protect our users from deceptive or harmful financial products and will not affect companies offering loans such as mortgages, car loans, student loans, commercial loans, revolving lines of credit."

Payday loan firms such as Wonga and Quick Quid offer borrowers short-term quick cash fixes at inflated interest rates. The industry has come under fire previously for a perceived lack of transparency in its ad campaigns, and targeting those with a poor credit history.

The Online Lenders Association said Google's new policy was "disappointing".

Speaking to the BBC, the group's president Lisa McGreevy said: "It's disappointing that a site created to help give users full access to information is making arbitrary choices on the advertisements users are allowed to see from legal businesses."

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