The University of Dallas, a Catholic institution in Texas, is grappling with escalating interference from major tech companies as its online advertising campaigns continue to face censorship. Google and Meta have each taken actions that curtail the university’s digital reach, raising alarm among free speech advocates who warn of the growing suppression of religious voices online.
Although the university has made efforts to align its ads with platform policies, Google has repeatedly rejected promotions for its graduate programs. Meanwhile, Meta, the corporate parent of Facebook and Instagram, shut down the advertising account operated by the university’s marketing partner, based on documents shared with The College Fix.
Clare Venegas, vice president of marketing for the University of Dallas, highlighted a troubling pattern and questioned whether Catholic institutions are being unfairly targeted. “For some reason, Google continues to claim that they’re blocking us for religious reasons, when none of the College of Business ads have religious content in them,” Venegas stated during an on-campus interview.
Internal records show nine advertisements were blocked under Google’s “religious content for personalized advertising” policy, a rule that forbids tailoring ads to individuals based on faith or similar characteristics. However, Venegas emphasized that ads such as those promoting the “Core Curriculum” and “Student Life” made no reference to religion whatsoever.
Past incidents reinforce the university’s concern. Venegas cited a 2023 situation where Google barred a brief promotional video simply because it mentioned “personal religious beliefs,” once again invoking the same restrictive policy.
Efforts to obtain clarification from Google went nowhere, as media inquiries from The College Fix were left unanswered.
