Google will ban fake news sites from its ad service

Google, Facebook, and Twitter are under fire for their influence over the US election

Waiters catering a reception at the Google stand, work in front of a logo of the US search engine giant, at the Frankfurt Book Fair 21 October 2005. Google is trying to convince the publishing world to participate in its new Google print search engine which allows users to search within books online. (John MacDougal/AFP/GEtty)

Alphabet Inc's Google is working to change their policy to prevent fake news websites from using its AdSense advertising network, the company told Reuters on Monday.

"Moving forward, we will restrict ad serving on pages that misrepresent, misstate, or conceal information about the publisher, the publisher's content, or the primary purpose of the web property," a Google spokesperson told the news agency. “This policy includes fake news sites, the spokesperson confirmed. Google already prevents its AdSense program from being used by sites that promote violent videos and imagery, pornography, and hate speech.”

The decision comes after Google, Facebook, and Twitter continue to face scrutiny for the role they played in the US presidential election. Critics say that the false information peddled by President-elect Donald Trump may have helped him over the course of his campaign.

However, the company did not say whether they will work to rate the accuracy of the fake news articles or restrict how they display in searches.