Google won’t let political ads get personal

Could there be a better place for a political smear campaign than the Internet? It’s a fertile wonderland for dubious facts, anonymous accusations and conspiracy theorists. But Google says it will be doing its part to keep things clean this year by banning any ads that include “attacks on an individual’s personal life.” Google’s Public Policy Blog gives the example that “‘Crime rates are up under Police Commissioner Gordon’ is okay, but ‘Police Commissioner Gordon had an affair’ is not.”