Letter to Google

I’ve been fairly happy with Google’s Blogger service. However, I just discovered on oddity with Google’s “AdSense” program. I sent a letter to Google complaining about the problem. And, I thought, what’s more appropriately ironic than using Google’s Blogger service to complain about Google? Here’s the letter:

Dear Google,

I was looking into using AdSense on my web pages, but I found the following policy:

“Sites displaying Google ads may not include… advocacy against any individual, group, or organization.”

According to this policy, if I wish to use AdSense, I cannot “advocate against” the KKK, a dangerous cult, or a political movement that I regard as harmful.

Most of your other restrictions make sense, but this one does not. Moreover, I suspect that the large majority of your AdSense users flagrantly violate the policy on a daily basis. However, I will not sign up for AdSense knowing that I fully intend to violate the policy as stated. If you wish to rephrase your policy so that it does not explicitly prohibit normal and responsible blogging, then I will again consider the program.

Thank you for your consideration,
Ari Armstrong

2 thoughts on “Letter to Google”

  1. Good luck. Google uses this ambiguity to enforce selectively in favor of groups it likes. Some years ago, I worked with a group of Objectivist that advocated war against state sponsors of terrorism. When Google found out what we stood for, they canceled our AdSense ads.

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