News stories about domestic violence in Australia were accompanied by advertisements for faux-bloodstained shirts carrying the phrase “problem solved”, prompting calls for media outlets and advertisers to review how digital ads are placed.
The advertisements appeared on several Australian news websites alongside reports about recent alleged domestic violence incidents. The shirts were sold by online retailer Menweary and similar products were also listed on larger marketplaces.
Concerns over the advertising context
Denise Buiten, a senior lecturer in sociology and social justice at the University of Notre Dame Australia, said the placement created an inappropriate contrast with stories about violence and could affect how readers interpreted the material.
Patty Kinnersly, chief executive of Our Watch, said unexpected advertisements of this type could distress victim-survivors and risk making violence appear trivial or acceptable.
Publishers removed the advertisements
The Guardian said the advertisement breached its advertising guidelines and was removed after the organisation was alerted. Nine, the parent company of the Sydney Morning Herald, attributed its appearance to Google’s AdSense advertising system and said the advertiser was removed and blocked.
News.com.au editor Kerry Warren said News Corp was working with its third-party advertising provider after the advertisement was reported, and apologised for any distress caused.
A Google spokesperson said advertisements are reviewed under its policies and that publishers can apply additional restrictions, including blocking advertisers, websites, sources or categories.
How automated advertising can go wrong
Christopher Brown from UNSW’s Australian Graduate School of Management said clothing-related advertising may not have been identified by screening systems designed to detect more obviously sensitive categories.
He said automated content-targeting systems could also have misinterpreted the surrounding article, allowing an advertisement to appear in an inappropriate context.
The incident has renewed questions about the safeguards used in programmatic advertising, particularly when advertisements are placed automatically beside stories involving violence, deaths or other sensitive subjects.
The Guardian’s report also notes that the “problem solved” shirt design attracted controversy in the United States in 2025 when it was worn by school teachers in Arizona. The reported use of the shirts was described at the time as unrelated to the death of political activist Charlie Kirk.
The Australian incident highlights the difficulty publishers and advertising platforms face in controlling real-time advertising placements across large networks, even when publishers have policies intended to restrict harmful or inappropriate advertisements.
For background on one of the domestic violence incidents mentioned in the report, see Mother charged after Blue Mountains stabbing.
Source: The Guardian, “Review urged after blood-spattered shirt ads ran alongside domestic violence news in Australia”.
Related coverage: ABC Four Corners criticised over source checks
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