Adsense Privacy Policy
The change to the Adsense privacy policy in latest Google TOS is the item which requires action from the largest number of Adsense publishers.
If you are an Adsense publisher, you would have recently been advised of Google’s updates terms of service for Adsense. There is an excellent description of the wider changes on Jim Karter’s site.
While most of the changes are more ‘for your information’ there is one which has required some action from us and I’m guessing a lot of other publishers.
The Adsense team have re-enforced the requirement for sites displaying Adsense to display a privacy policy. They have also been quite specific requirements that make it necessary for publishers to:
post and abide by a transparent privacy policy that users see. 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.
To be honest we have had a Privacy Policy up on only our higher traffic sites until now. The policy didn’t make mention of 3rd parties using cookies/web beacons to collect data.
Over the last few days we have:
- For all higher traffic sites have updated the displayed privacy policy to comply with Adsense requirements.
- For all smaller sites, built one group policy and had the sites link to it.
This approach was decided upon for the following reasons:
- There will be a requirement to update the policy again in the future. So limiting the number of policy documents requiring update was practical.
- For larger traffic sites we wanted to retain traffic on-site & for the smaller ones a bit of leakage won’t be the end of the world.
While it has involved a bit of work, we feel this is a positive step for our readers.
Appreciate that Google needs to do this to keep the legal beagles happy (& court costs down). but it is also important that readers have the opportunity to see what a site’s stance is on privacy.
In short it feels like the right thing to do irrespective of our status as an Adsense publisher.
If you haven’t sorted your own Privacy policy out yet here are a few links which will help:
The Adsense policy change announcement
A Privacy Policy Template Site - If an Adsense publisher be sure to add the Google specified requirements
Posted: March 2nd, 2008 under Adsense, News.
Comments: 14
Comments
Comment from Chris
Time: March 3, 2008, 1:01 am
I didn’t see that in the new terms of service. Perhaps I need to read them again. Do we really have to post something to that effect on every website we have? Will they enforce this?
Comment from Business
Time: March 4, 2008, 10:30 pm
Thanks for this post Brian, I am one of those people who just agreed to their terms and didnt read over all of the changes! This helped break it down and give me what I needed to know!
Great Post
Comment from Biodun
Time: March 7, 2008, 10:40 am
Thanks for sharing, I haven’t sorted mine. This links are useful.
thanks
Comment from Nieruchomosci
Time: March 10, 2008, 2:02 pm
Thank you for the info, this makes me re evaluate whether using Adsense is still beneficial to me …
Comment from Bank Girl
Time: March 11, 2008, 12:20 am
Thanks for the info and Useful sites, i didn’t read over the changes either.
Comment from Simon Ward
Time: March 11, 2008, 7:43 am
I remember clicking that now - to tell the truth - I think I am so conditioned to just clicking away TOS without even reading them, google could sneak anything through on me.
Comment from xpango
Time: March 13, 2008, 11:24 am
I also disregarded it and thought it was nothing. Thanks for this
Comment from Geld Lenen
Time: March 13, 2008, 2:03 pm
I also clicked the TOS away, without looking at it. But suddenly I read that you need a privacy policy on your website. I’m looking for one in my language! :(
Comment from Matt
Time: March 17, 2008, 5:41 pm
I don’t see Adsense getting anal about this. It’s probably more of a preventative in case one of their clients gets pulled into court.
Comment from Robert the wood boiler king
Time: March 25, 2008, 12:01 am
Yeah, I clicked through without reading, and then after I realized my mistake I had to search all over to figure out what I needed to do.
Comment from texas refractive surgery
Time: March 25, 2008, 5:12 pm
I freaked out when I first found out about the privacy policy requirement, but there are a few templates out there that make it really easy. I added the policies to all of my blogs pretty quickly since you really only need to change the site name, etc. in each privacy policy. Thanks for the links.
Comment from yana
Time: April 11, 2008, 5:15 pm
adsense policy reviewed now is very important guys..so better don ignore it
Comment from Newfoundland Business Directory
Time: April 18, 2008, 5:50 am
I was not aware of this change and now have to go add this to at least two of my sites. I generally do include a privacy policy and terms of service page …
thanks for this and for keeping me on TOS.
Comment from Bev Mans
Time: April 22, 2008, 12:25 pm
Thanks for the update - I wasn’t aware that there had been a change. The links you provided were a great help. :-)
Write a comment