WTF?

I Posted This Breast Cancer PSA and Google AdSense Made Me Take It Down

A while back, I posted this PSA for a breast cancer awareness campaign on this website. This week, the webmaster got an email from Google AdSense demanding that it be removed less we lose our advertising privileges with Google. The email reads in part:

Hello,

This is a warning message to alert you that there is action required to bring your AdSense account into compliance with our AdSense program policies. We’ve provided additional details below, along with the actions to be taken on your part.

Affected website: ajournalofmusicalthings.com

Example page where violation occurred: https://ajournalofmusicalthings.com/breast-cancer-awareness-campaign-features-singing-boobs/

Action required: Please make changes immediately to your site to follow AdSense program policies.

Current account status: Active

Violation explanation

As stated in our program policies, we may not show Google ads on pages with content that is sexually suggestive or intended to sexually arouse. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • pornographic images, videos, or games
  • sexually gratifying text, images, audio, or video

[…]

You do not need to contact us if you make changes. Please be aware that if additional violations are accrued, ad serving may be disabled to the website listed above. You should immediately take time to review your pages with Google ads to ensure that they comply with our policies.

IT’S A FREAKIN’ BREAST CANCER AWARENESS PSA! And what’s more, the PSA is hosted on YouTube, which, the last time I looked, was a division of Google. And yes, the video is still there, although woe to anyone who dares embed it on a site dependent on AdSense. I’d appeal, but the email I received doesn’t offer that option.

Stupid robots. Any suggestions on how to rage against this machine?

 

 

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38040 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

3 thoughts on “I Posted This Breast Cancer PSA and Google AdSense Made Me Take It Down

  • It’s a good video, Alan, and it gets the point across in a funny and memorable way.

    Reply
  • Take boobs out of the URL. Change the naming convention of the URL to something safe.

    Reply
  • I’m in a similar boat. I have a blog where I do wine, beer, food, and tech reviews, and they won’t allow me to use adSense because of the booze. There have been several articles lately about the power large corporations have in censoring speech, and I’m very much on board with limiting what they can forbid to only what is illegal.

    Reply

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