Visibility is not for sale. Sponsorship is. The Advertising and Sponsorship Policy defines what kinds of sponsorship are permitted (clearly labelled, surface-specific, ranking-neutral), the labelling format, the editorial-independence boundary, and the appeals path for users who believe sponsorship has bled into ranking.
It applies to Map.ca’s commercial team, the product surfaces that host sponsorship, and the editorial reviewers who guard the ranking boundary.
Requirements
- Label every sponsored surface clearly and accessibly.
- Maintain editorial independence between sponsorship and ranking.
Prohibitions
- Do not let sponsorship change search or category ranking.
- Do not use sponsorship to gate access to civic surfaces.