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AdSense and Your Privacy Policy - What Will You Do?

Posted by mybrainrunslinux • 3/13/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: ad networks, adsense, blogging, cookies, google, online privacy, Privacy

Bloggers who use (have used, think about using, know someone who uses) AdSense, what are you going to do about the new privacy implications of AdSense? If you want to know how AdSense will start using cookies in a way that I would call "agressive" - and help me decide what to do (switch ad networks, monetize the site in other ways, ask for donations, etc), please leave comments here or check my latest post (yes, the email got me upset enough to write about it - hope it helps some of you! There's a link to an automatic privacy policy generator also).

User Comments

3/13/09

codesucker

Thanks for starting this!

What a huge change to their terms! And why was the email in legal cryptic??

Adsense placing a cookie on my visitors computer? Watching and recording what they do?

'Interest-Based advertising' is another way of saying 'I'm gonna go into your computer and watch what you do so you can click my ads more often'

I don't know.. I've never been big on affilate marketing or contracts for PPC.. I liked how adsense took care of all that for me. I don't know if I'll continue with them.

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3/13/09

mybrainrunslinux

The thing that scares me the most is the fact that they are basing their content around "other sites" that my users visit.

(tweakandtune.blogspot.com/2009/03/adsense-privacy-need-new-ad-provider.html)

I'm wondering what happens if someone looks at a bunch of porn and then comes to your blog? Not to mention the obvious malicious code, etc. Funny thing, too - if you "opt out" you get an "opt out cookie" - I haven't tested, but supposedly if you clear your cookies you will be "un-opted out". ...and get the free and great automatic decision-making toolbar*! Never choose for yourself again, we know what you want anyway... meh

*In exchange for your soul. All rights reserved, blah blah noone reads this crap anyway

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3/13/09

codesucker

Linux you've cracked me up now a few times "and get the free and great automatic decision-making toolbar*!" LoL!

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3/13/09

codesucker

Adsense was really awsome too.. seemed too good to be true.

I've learned two things so far in my life -

1. If it seems too good to be true, it is.
2. Don't play poker with someone named after a city.

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3/13/09

SAHMinIL

hmmm some of the stuff here has given me somethngs to think about...

But at the same time Yahoo ALREADY uses this type of technology on THEIR website. So every time you visit yahoo the ads are suppose to be gear to you, because they look at the sites you have visited.

To be honest I never realized that yahoo did this until last month when some one brought it to my attention with a direct link to opt out of yahoo ad/cookie tracking.

Perhaps google is just "catching" up to what others are ALREADY doing. Here is the link to yahoo privacy policy if anyone is interested. info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/details.html

Anyway this email has given me lots to think about; If adsense is still "right" for my site.

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3/13/09

SOUNDBOUNDER

I have some Amazon ads on my blog, as well as AdSense.

What other advertising opportunities are out there???
I might drop the AdSense, if there is a decent alternative.

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3/13/09

mikeny07

You can control cookies in IE browser settings. That's what I do. Tools, Internet options, Privacy. This is a better way of people controlling what they want on their computer rather then reading each sites privacy statements.

I think it is not a big deal since so many other sites do the same thing for years that we probably don't even know about.

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3/13/09

JamCan

I haven't yet read the email from the. But hopefully no one spends too much time on porn sites LOL!!

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