正當美國監(jiān)管部門對“發(fā)薪日高利貸”展開打擊之際,谷歌也將禁止這一行業(yè)在該公司的平臺上發(fā)布廣告。雖然激起發(fā)薪日貸款行業(yè)的不滿和抗議,但許多消費者組織為谷歌“按贊”。
測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識:
payday lender 發(fā)薪日貸款
vigilance 警戒,警覺['v?d??l(?)ns]
mortgage 房屋抵押貸款['m??g?d?]
discriminatory 歧視的[d?,skr?m?'ne?t(?)r?]
censorship 審查制度['sens???p]
hazardous 冒險的;碰運氣的['h?z?d?s]
phishing 網(wǎng)絡(luò)釣魚;網(wǎng)絡(luò)欺詐['f????]
explosive 爆炸物[?k'splos?v]
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Google bans payday lender advertising (652words)
By Hannah Kuchler in San Francisco and Ben McLannahan in New York
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Google has taken a stand against payday lenders, imposing a blanket ban across its ad systems to shield users from “deceptive or harmful” financial products.
Google said that from mid-July, it would no longer accept ads for loans where repayment is due within 60 days of the date of the issue.
The technology company also said that in the US, it would take the additional step of banning ads for loans with an annual percentage rate of 36 per cent or higher.
David Graff, Google’s director of global product policy, said ads for financial services are a “particular area of vigilance” given they are central to “people’s livelihood and well being”.
He said the decision would not affect other financial products such as mortgages or credit cards. The payday loans will still be shown in search results.
Google dominates the global digital advertising market, receiving a third of the $159bn in revenues in 2015, according to data from research firm eMarketer. Facebook, second with 11 per cent of the worldwide market, has already banned advertisements of payday loans or paycheck advances, making it harder for such loans to reach large online audiences.
The Community Financial Services Association of America, a payday lending trade group, attacked Google’s move.
“These policies are discriminatory and a form of censorship. The internet is meant to express the free flow of ideas and enhance commerce. Google is making a blanket assessment about the payday lending industry rather than discerning the good actors from the bad actors,” it said.
Payday loans are often advertised as a means to cover an unexpected outlay such as a medical bill or a broken boiler. But most Americans take them to cover ordinary living expenses.
According to a study by Pew Charitable Trust, 69 per cent of those interviewed used their first payday loan to cover utilities, credit card payments, rent or food.
Consumer advocacy groups argue that for many people, that first step can be hazardous — especially if their funds fall short on a designated repayment date.
Most payday lenders require access to the borrower’s bank account to make direct debits; if the money is not there, charges can run into the hundreds of dollars, forcing borrowers to apply for more expensive cash elsewhere.
Google already has bans on advertising of tobacco, recreational drugs, guns, ammunition, explosives and dangerous knives on its site.
Mr Graff said Google took down 780m ads in 2015 for everything from counterfeiting to phishing, where a hacker tries to elicit a user to click on a link to steal his or her personal information.
請根據(jù)你所讀到的文章內(nèi)容,完成以下自測題目:
1. When will the ban of payday lender advertising begin?
A. June
B. May
C. July
D. not decided
2. Which one of the following is wrong for the ban?
A. The decision will affect all financial products.
B. The payday loans will still be shown in search results.
C. The ban is for loans where repayment is due within 60 days of the date of the issue.
D. The ban is for loans with an annual percentage rate of 36 per cent or higher.
3. Which company has already banned advertisements of payday loans before Google?
A. Facebook
B. Twitter
C. WhatsApp
D. Yahoo
4. How to use payday loans for most Americans in real life?
A. medical bills
B. broken boilers
C. ordinary living expenses
D. dangerous knives
[1] 答案 C. July
解釋:谷歌表示,從7月中旬開始,該公司將禁止發(fā)薪日貸款及其相關(guān)產(chǎn)品在其平臺上投放廣告。
[2] 答案 A. The decision will affect all financial products.
解釋:這個禁令并不會影響到其他金融產(chǎn)品的廣告,例如信用卡和抵押貸款。
[3] 答案 A. Facebook
解釋:Facebook已于去年8月正式封殺了此類廣告。
[4] 答案 C. ordinary living expenses
解釋:發(fā)薪日貸款在廣告宣傳中是用于如醫(yī)療案件等意外的開銷,但現(xiàn)實生活中大部分美國人都用作房租、食物等日常開銷。