Health and Government Organizations Spend Millions Advertising on Misinformation Websites

A CNN investigation reveals that health and government organizations spent $35.7 million on advertising across 11 websites promoting health misinformation between 2021 and 2024, accounting for over 10% of these sites' ad revenue. The American Heart Association and Alzheimer's Association each spent less than $25,000 annually on such placements, which they attribute to unintentional consequences of automated advertising systems that lack full visibility into site placements. The US Department of Health and Human Services also placed ads on misinformation sites, though the agency now emphasizes its commitment to evidence-based science under Kennedy's leadership. Yale University researchers partnered with NewsGuard to identify the problematic websites, finding that nonprescription wellness products represented the largest advertising category at over $19 million in spending.

Health and government organizations funding misinformation sites

• ▪Health and government organizations accounted for more than 10% of advertising payments received by websites that promote health misinformation between 2021 and 2024
• ▪The US Department of Health and Human Services placed advertisements on websites that promote health misinformation
• ▪The American Heart Association spent less than $25,000 per year on average on advertisements that appeared on websites promoting health misinformation between 2021 and 2024
• ▪Health and government organizations spent $35.7 million on advertising on 11 websites that promote health misinformation between 2021 and 2024

Scale and nature of advertising on misinformation websites

• ▪Nonprescription wellness product advertising represented nearly 6% of total advertising revenue for the set of 11 health misinformation websites studied between 2021 and 2024
• ▪Yale University researchers worked with NewsGuard to identify websites that promote health misinformation and had data available on advertising expenditures
• ▪Nonprescription wellness products were the most common type of health advertising found on websites that promote health misinformation

Organizational responses and challenges with automated advertising

• ▪The US Department of Health and Human Services stated the agency is prioritizing evidence-based science and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars under Kennedy's leadership
• ▪The American Heart Association stated that any advertising placement on sites that publish misleading or inaccurate content is unintentional
• ▪The Alzheimer's Association stated that the dynamic nature of digital advertising means ads may occasionally appear alongside content that does not align with the organization's values or standards

Expert perspectives on combating health misinformation

• ▪NewsGuard works with trained journalists to assess the content and practices of websites to determine whether websites are reliable sources of information
• ▪US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory in 2021 warning that health misinformation is a serious threat to public health
• ▪Dr. Anne Cappola is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and executive director of the Penn Medical Communication Research Institute
• ▪Dr. Vivek Murthy stated in 2021 that limiting the spread of health misinformation is a moral and civic imperative that will require a whole-of-society effort
• ▪Matt Skibinski is the chief operating officer for NewsGuard

Perspective of American Heart Association and Alzheimer's Association

• ▪Automated advertising programs used by health associations do not provide full visibility into every site where ads are placed
• ▪The Alzheimer's Association attributes occasional ad appearances alongside misaligned content to the dynamic nature of digital advertising

Perspective of Public health experts and researchers

• ▪Dr. Vivek Murthy stated in 2021 that limiting health misinformation spread requires a whole-of-society effort
• ▪Dr. Anne Cappola states the impact of credible organizations advertising on non-credible websites is not immediately quantifiable
• ▪Dr. Anne Cappola identifies trust in science and critical thinking as two key factors in combating health misinformation