Aufklarung Playground

Google has made changes to the Google AdSense Terms and Conditions policy two days ago, exactly on Monday, February 25th, 2008 @ 2:40:00 pm. The major changed with AdSense policies fall into two broad categories: first, the future products and features, and second, privacy requirements. More specifically, the major concern with AdSense publishers is the line “According to this policy, publishers must notify their users of the use of cookies and/or web beacons to collect data in the ad serving process. This change relates to advertisers’ use of innovative products and features like Gadget Ads and other offerings in the future”.

However, the AdSense publishers, the next time you login to your AdSense console you will likely have to agree to new terms and conditions. The Inside AdSense blog announced that Google has updated their AdSense terms and conditions to include better verbiage for new products and features as well as an update to their privacy requirements.

UPDATE:

So, according to Jim Karter’s explanation about the differences between the old tos and the new one, some major important changes of ga tos that were not mentioned by me when published this entry yesterday s as follows:

• The publisher can put adsense search and referral ads on pages without content.
• The publisher can put adsense on error, registration, and thank you pages.
• The publisher need privacy policy on the site with says cookies are used to get some info.
• The publisher can show more than one adsense ads from more than one account on same page.
• The publisher can now run contextual ads from other companies like yahoo on the same page.

The privacy requirements part tells publishers that it is their responsibility to notify their users that the use of cookies and/or web beacons are being used to collect data. Although Google may have these details in their policies, it is required by Google’s terms and conditions that you as a publisher also contain that verbiage in your privacy policy.

In my opinion, nothing to worry about as far as I can see. Looks like they added some stuff for video and media players. Beyond that, here are some interesting points.

• You may enroll in the Program and create an account for the sole purpose of receiving payment from Google, and not, for purposes of clarification, for the purpose of displaying Ads, Links, Search Results and/or Referral Buttons on a Property.
• Your privacy policy should also include information about user options for cookie management.
• Communications Solely With Google. You agree to direct to Google, and not to any advertiser, any communication regarding any Ad(s) or Link(s) displayed in connection with Your Property(ies).

The last one is we can not sell any ads on our own sites, and must direct all customers to Google for buying ads on our sites, however does not say anything about if its only Google ads or all ads. In its current format its wide open to say all ads, even ads not owned by Google.

By the way, i believe most publishers will agree but not read that new terms and conditions. And Google will likely not enforce the new policies and everyone wil end up happy .