Poland’s Foreign Ministry has called on Google to take down Israeli-sponsored YouTube advertisements denying famine in Gaza, a move that highlights the growing economic and political tensions surrounding digital platforms and state-sponsored narratives.
The ministry directed its disinformation watchdog, NASK, to report the ads, which were flagged as containing “manipulated or false content.” However, Google rejected the request, maintaining that the videos complied with its advertising policies. Since August, Israel’s Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Warsaw have circulated multiple sponsored videos dismissing reports of famine, despite the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirming widespread starvation in northern Gaza and warning of its expansion southward by the end of September.
The dispute underscores how tech platforms, under pressure from governments, advertisers, and international watchdogs, are increasingly caught at the intersection of economic interests, political narratives, and humanitarian crises, raising broader questions about accountability in the digital advertising economy.
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