An MP has reached an agreement after complaining about a Google Ads ad.
The High Court heard the advert, seen on a website in February 2021, suggested he “protects or sympathizes with child abuse”.
An attorney representing Mr Anderson said he had settled a “looming lawsuit” for defamation and violation of privacy laws and rights.
Google Ireland Ltd apologized to Mr Anderson, who is representing Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, on Thursday.
Mr Anderson’s lawyer, Felicity McMahon, said he was informed the advert would be shown on Guido Fawkes’ website – a “popular political news source” that attracts hundreds of thousands of regular readers.
She said the ad was linked to a “fringe campaign group” called Keeping Kids Safe and showed a picture of Mr Anderson alongside the headline “MP Office Protect Paedophile”.
“The complainant and his family were extremely disturbed by the complaint, which falsely suggested that he was protective of or sympathetic to child abuse and those perpetrating such abuse,” she added.
A lawyer representing Google Ireland said the company “sincerely” apologizes to Mr Anderson for any annoyance the ad has caused him.
They told Judge Jaron Lewis that the ad shouldn’t have been shown because it didn’t comply with Google Ads policies.
They added that the ad was removed as soon as Mr. Anderson brought it to Google Ireland’s attention.
Mr Anderson was elected Conservative MP in 2019 after serving many years as a Labor councillor.
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