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Google gave Scientology a leg up

by on06 January 2016


$6 million in free advertising claimed

A Scientology activist has claimed that in 2014, Google gave about $6 million in free advertising to the Church of Scientology.


According to Hacker News how Scientologists were told that Google has approved advertising grants totalling $5.7 million for Scientology churches around the country.

A spokesScientologist said that Google works with more than 20,000 nonprofits in over 50 countries so what is the difference?

The free advertising came from the Google Ad Grant programme, which provides free advertising for non-profit organisations and charities.

The Church of Scientology was officially recognised as a tax-exempt religion by the US IRS in 1993, in a controversial decision that came after a years-long campaign of personal attacks on IRS employees.

American court rulings had dismissed the idea that Scientology was a real religion, citing ''the commercial character of much of Scientology,'' its ''virtually incomprehensible financial procedures'' and its ''scripturally based hostility to taxation.''

Maybe the thought is that if the courts thought that Scientology was a religion it was better Google not to distinguish between one officially recognised church and another.

Google also helped out with the Scientology Truth About Drugs and Way to Happiness campaigns, to the tune of $40,000 a month.

To be fair the $5.7 million claim is unlikely. Former Scientologists say the church routinely makes about its size and success are hugely exaggerated. But Google has stood up for Scientology before.
In 2002, CNET reported that Google removed search result links to the website Xenu.net, which publishes news and criticism of the church.  The church moaned that it was breaching its trademark because it was publishing copies of its secret material.

Last modified on 06 January 2016
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