Thursday, June 27, 2013

Google Policy Content Change Targets Adult Websites.

Recently we have been informed that there has been a change in Google's Content Policy, which activates on June 30th.  As of that date, all blogspot blogs that are adult in nature will be prohibited from monetizing their blogs, meaning that advertisements to adult websites will not be allowed.

Please be advised that on June 30th 2013, we will be updating our Content Policy to strictly prohibit the monetization of Adult content on Blogger. After June 30th 2013, we will be enforcing this policy and will remove blogs which are adult in nature and are displaying advertisements to adult websites.
If your adult blog currently has advertisements which are adult in nature, you should remove them as soon as possible as to avoid any potential Terms of Service violation and/or content removals. 

Michael Alexander Stories has always prided itself on not slamming our readers with advertisements.  We are not currently affiliates of any adult websites and have not generated a single penny's worth of revenue from being an affiliate in the past.  In fact, when we went through and checked the sites, the only advertisement we found was on The Cream of Venus, which hasn't been active in months.  We of course deleted those advertisements, but a single issue remains.

Google's definition of what constitutes an adult advertisement is in question.  For example, does posting an image of Breanne's latest book, along with a link to our primary website, which is "adult in nature," constitute a violation?  Will everything need to be relinked to Amazon.com?  Will direct links to www.michaelalexanderstories.com be prohibited?  And please remember, we also provide direct links to most (if not all) of our free story archive tales.  Will these lists need to be removed?  What about my direct link to Hellfire Caves?  I provide this link free of charge because I support the forum there.  It's not advertising, yet by the criteria given by Google, it could be considered that.  Or the link to BDSMBook Reviews?  Again, same issue.

I am in the process of contacting Google for clarification on this issue, but have a distinct feeling I will not get a response prior to these content policy changes going into effect.  Since Michael Alexander Stories receives over five hundred hits a day, I can imagine that this blog will be one of the first to be checked and possibly censured.

From a business aspect, I recognize Google's right to limit content.  It's their blog engine after all, and I am using it for free, and technically I am using it to promote content that is for sale, and that content is of an adult nature.  My entire blog is nothing but a giant advertisement for our books. If it becomes necessary, I will of course, move to a private, dedicated server, and continue our work here, but will rue the day when busybodies who wish to stick their nose in other people's business and condemn NON ILLEGAL and CONSENSUAL activity have their way.  And make no mistake - this is an attack on the adult material community, otherwise Google would be banning monetization across the board.

1 comment:

  1. Well, shit. I guess they don't want their pet AI growing up to be a P.E.R.V.E.R.T. (Perfectly Everyday Responsible Vitality with Erotic Recreational Typecasting)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting on Michael Alexander's BDSM Blog! We love hearing from our fans. Whether it's a critique, a suggestion, or just a plain old "well done!" drop us a line! Or feel free to email us directly! You can find our address at our website! Thanks!