The tech giant will no longer permit the advertising of “unproven and experimental medical techniques” on its platform, it said Friday, such as stem-cell and gene therapy. The company said it has seen a “rise in bad actors attempting to take advantage of individuals by offering untested, deceptive treatments.” The new policy will take effect next month. (The Logic)

Talking point: The move comes as stem-cell clinics increasingly market unproven treatments to consumers independent of health-care providers, including on Google’s ad platform. In July, Health Canada ordered some three-dozen clinics in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec to immediately halt their services. That decision followed a paper the department published in May, which stated that autologous (using an individual’s own cells) cell treatments lack scientific evidence showing they work, and can pose risks. Google’s current policy prevents ads promoting non-government-approved products that are marketed as being safe and effective—Facebook has similar policies—but the rules haven’t prevented false advertising of dubious medical procedures. Google’s new amendments will go a step further, focusing in on treatments that have “no established biomedical or scientific basis,” including those that may have some basic scientific findings, but still lack sufficient clinical testing.