Google trainee puts up dummy adv

2018-12-07
The error was made as trainees were shown Google' global ad system
A Google training exercise (运动、练习) that went wrong meant a dummy advert was placed on a "huge number" of webpages and apps , the Financial Times has reported .
The mistake meant a blank yellow rectangle was active on the sites and apps for about 45 minutes on 4 December .it said.
The ad was only visible to people in the US and Australia.
The mistake happened when trainees were being shown how to use Google's in-house ad placing system.
Cost calls
The ad was sent out because one trainee (实习生) “ went further than intended " and submitted a live order into the advert buying system.
The advert was placed at a far higher rate of return than any other ad and was routed through several third-party exchanges, so it reached a wide audience .
"As soon as we were made aware of this honest mistake we worked quickly to stop the campaingns running " said Google in a statement.
It added that it would "honour" any payments to publishers which they incurred as a result of the mistake .
The exact cost of the error has not been made clear but the FT speculated that it would cost Google about $10m in fees and clean up costs to rectify it .