Google Allows Advertisers to Target the Sensitive Informational Queries of Cancer Patients

The study reveals that alternative cancer clinics spent $15.8 million on Google ads from 2012 to 2023, using 20,035 unique keywords to target cancer patients by mimicking their search queries. This practice led to 6.7 million website visits, exploiting vulnerable patients by directing them to unproven treatments, potentially increasing their risk of earlier death. The research calls for Google to ban the use of sensitive health-related keywords in advertising to protect these patients from misleading information. Data was collected using Semrush, focusing on clinics in Tijuana, Mexico, and Arizona, USA, known for lenient regulations on alternative treatments.