Google has taken the step to ban all payday lenders from its sites. Any loans which are due within 36 days or with an interest rate of over 36%, will not appear on the company's search results. Google's director of policy, David Graff said that the intention was to ensure that “fewer people were exposed to the misleading or harmful products”. Whilst it is not the first time certain industries have been banned from the site, with weapons and tobacco both banned, The Online Lenders Association called the decision “disappointing”. The Association went on to say that Google is presented as a site to “help give users full access to information”, but was instead was denying users the chance to find advertisements from legal businesses. Ultra-high interest loans have been criticised in the past for targeting less affluent people, and aiming to trap them in a cycle of borrowing.Â
