Google jerks Sex Party ads

The Australian Sex Party has dubbed anti-censorship giant Google a "farce" after it blocked the party's election campaign ads in the dying hours before the Federal Election.

(Credit: The Australian Sex Party)

Its most famous TV advertisement, JerkChoices, was among those blocked. The provocative tongue-in-cheek stab at the Coalition and Labor opposition to gay marriage promotes the Australian Sex Party's libertarian agenda, and was aired on the ABC's Gruen Nation and Network Ten's 7PM Project.

Australian Sex Party president Fiona Patten, said Google had reclassified its Ad-Words election campaign to a restricted "Adults Only" rating without notice.

"It is outrageous. The campaign was approved on Monday and revoked on Thursday," Patten said.

"We received 16,000 impressions (last Tuesday) and have lost significant exposure on one of our critical [ad platforms]."

Patten placed a call to a Google Sydney phone number and received an automated message to contact only via email. A written request was in turn rejected and she was directed to the company's online help centre.

"It is one of the most unhelpful help centres I have seen," Patten said.

Patten said the ads had initially appeared on political and news websites before Google had changed the classification, but afterwards she said they could not be located.

It had been the party's plan that the ads run on those sites.

She said it was a "bitter irony" that Google had blocked the campaign and yet publicly opposes the Federal Government's internet content filter plan.

Patten is seeking a response from Google on the dispute.

Google Australia did not return request for comment at the time of publication.