According to an undercover investigation conducted by The Sunday Times, the internet giant, Google is allegedly making profits from a practice where the broker secretly garners millions of pounds from people who are seeking treatment for the addiction in the UK. This practice is banned in America; Google does not take advertisements from referral agents in America as this practice is against the law. However, Google made a humongous £59 billion from advertising in 2016.
The undercover probe found that Google allegedly charges brokers up to £200 each time someone accesses their website from a single click on an advertised link at the top of a Google search page.
The “middlemen” or brokers, also known as referral agents, are said to be advertising themselves as free advice helplines. However, they are able to afford the usurious rates that Google alleges charges because they can receives as much as £20,000 monthly commission by referring one caller to private rehabilitation clinics.
It is said that one agency uses 300 websites to attract many people suffering from addiction to call its help line.
Sarah Wollaston MP also chairs the health select committee. She has called for Google to stop selling advertisements to referral agents or brokers. She said, “The level of payments for these referral agents via promoted links cannot be justified in my view especially as those desperate to tackle their addictions are unknowingly picking up the bill.”
Although this practice has been banned in America, it is not against the law in the UK.
It is sad and somewhat distasteful that an extortionate amount of money has been made at the expense of vulnerable people who are seeking help for their problems on the internet. These vulnerable sufferers are at the most desperate time of their lives and this alleged practice by Google and referral agents have acted like “parasites” while preying on defenceless people.
As an influential and prolific leader in their field, Google has a moral responsibility to ensure that one is not exploited to this extent on the internet. As difficult as it may seem, but its the most crucial step to ensure that no one makes profit from those who are in most need of help.
