Review urged after blood-spattered shirt ads ran alongside domestic violence news in Australia
Australian news outlets are facing backlash after advertisements for blood-stained Halloween shirts appeared alongside articles reporting on recent domestic violence murders. Advocates are calling for a review of ad-placement algorithms to prevent insensitive content from appearing next to tragic news stories.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the ethical challenges of automated programmatic advertising and the potential for digital content to cause distress to victims and the public.
Police attend the scene of a stabbing attack at Valley Heights in the Blue Mountains on Sunday, which police believe was a domestic violence incident. Photograph: Sarah Wilson/AAP Police attend the scene of a stabbing attack at Valley Heights in the Blue Mountains on Sunday, which police believe was a domestic violence incident. Photograph: Sarah Wilson/AAP Australian media Review urged after blood-spattered shirt ads ran alongside domestic violence news in Australia Gruesome ads embedded in articles about family violence ‘make light’ of violence and could distress victim-survivors, expert warns
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WARNING: this story contains an image some readers may find distressing
Prefer the Guardian on Google News stories about domestic violence inadvertently ran alongside advertisements for faux-bloodstained shirts reading “problem solved”, prompting advocates for victim-survivors to urge publishers to avoid making light of recent deaths.
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