The ongoing war in Ukraine has created a massive interest in military gear and related supplies.
While gun ads are more or less banned from Google, other tactical “defensive” gear is not.
For example, when viewing an article on CNN with updates on the Ukrainian crisis, the following add appears:
On the left, one can see the Google ad for Varusteleka.com, a Finnish supplier of military gear, tactical gear, guns, and ammo. The domain was registered in 2005 and the company appears to be a legitimate supplier of tactical gear, among other items, from Finland.
It’s not clear how much it costs to advertise such military content on Google’s vast network of participating web sites but it’s definitely a booming industry.
Will Google eventually remove the ban on gun ads?
Highly unlikely as US federal regulations restrict the viewership of such content among minors and it’d be impossible for Google to verify its direct audience. Meanwhile, anyone can go to CNN.com, read about developments in Ukraine, and be served ads with “gear & more” just as the ad served for Varusteleka.com.
