Isn't this illegal?

[The_Talent]

My friend owns a company who is registed with Google adsense and has adsense on his site. Cool, I hope he earns a million bucks(haha). But above his ads it says "Help Us!
Click our sponsor..."

I tried to tell him this is illegal but he said he is sponsored by them so it's legal.

Here is some bits and pieces from our chat...

"we are official sponsored by google...we pay them for having that stuff up"

"we pay them...they say it's fine...we have adsense business..we had to get accepted and I went through a week of acceptance letters"

"all websites registered with my adsense for business(i got adsense from the beta version, cause (COMPANY NAME) was invited by google to use it)"

Anyways, is it illegal or not?

If it is I win a hundred bucks, if not... well he goes on my block list! =)

[david_uk]

From the Adsnse TOS:-

Incentives
Web pages may not include incentives of any kind for users to click on ads. This includes encouraging users to click on the ads or to visit the advertisers' sites as well as drawing any undue attention to the ads. For example, your site cannot contain phrases such as "click here," "support us," "visit these links," or other similar language that could apply to any ad, regardless of content. These activities are strictly prohibited in order to avoid potential inflation of advertiser costs. In addition, publishers may not bring unnatural attention to sites displaying ads or referral buttons through unsolicited mass emails or unwanted advertisements on third-party websites. Publishers are also not permitted to use deceptive or unnatural means to draw attention to or incite clicks on referral buttons.

Tell him to get his cash out, or you will report him to Google. Then report him anyway :)

[toldan]

It's absolutely illegal.

You should report him to Google immediately.

Do not protect cheaters.

[jomaxx]

It's not "illegal" actually, but it will definitely get you kicked out of the AdSense program.

[leadegroot]

we pay them for having that stuff up

Are you sure it is Adsense he is runnning?
It sounds like a different scheme entirely.

[david_uk]

If it's adsense banners he's showing (even if he's also an adwords advertiser) what he's doing is against Google's TOS as posted above, and he is in danger of getting booted out. There isn't any question about this, and no grey areas either. It's against the TOS - period.

[jetteroheller]

I just checked a site again, I reported in February for TOS violations.

They removed the offending text, but now they write again something like

"We are the best, visit all our competitiors by the links below"

Now I reported them a second time.

[humblebeginnings]

"I just checked a site again, I reported in February for TOS violations.
They removed the offending text, but now they write again something like
"We are the best, visit all our competitiors by the links below" Now I reported them a second time."

It's really amazing to see how much time and energy some people spend to fraud the system.
If they had spend the same time and energy to make quality content, they would have made good cash too...

[Bluepixel]

Sure, report your friend so he gets kicked out. That's what friends are for.

[DamonHD]

A friend who lies to you and expects you to hide his/her defrauding of any system, but especially one you rely on too, is no friend at all, but a sociopath.

If you know he/she was robbing your local bank branch you'd be clearer about what to do I think.

Rgds

Damon

[Bluepixel]

The banks are robbing the poor people as well, so I wouldn't care. It's google's problem to find out that he is doing it, not the advertiser's problem.
I just see someone who is jealous about a friend's site. People should care less about other people's problems and more try to fix their own problems.

[malachite]

Bluepixel, I wonder if you'd change your tune if the money were coming out of your pocket - which, in a way, it is.

This isn't a case of jealousy. Fraud is fraud, and it's wrong for some to try gain an unfair advantage by breaking the rules the rest of us abide by.

[jetteroheller]

People should care less about other people's problems and more try to fix their own problems.

This is a major problem on this planet.

Most people think only on their own advantage for a extrem short period of time.

[ken_b]

Robbing a bank is a crime.

Violating the Adsense TOS is a contractual issue.

Quite a bit of difference there folks.

[added] I'm not defending either action, just pointing out that the comparison is sort of an apples vs oranges type thing[/added]

[humblebeginnings]

"I'm not defending either action, just pointing out that the comparison is sort of an apples vs oranges type thing"

Sorta like, almost the same, cause both are fruit?

[Khensu]

Hey, I have this friend?

Beta version?

mmmmmm.....

[andrea99]

Apples are apples, oranges are oranges, and stealing is stealing.

Sometimes theft is a crime, sometimes it's a civil matter.

Legality isn't the issue here, if you're an AdSense publisher TOS violators are stealing from you.

If they claim to be your friends you should reexamine that friendship.

[Bluepixel]

You guys should all found a new internet police. :-)

[david_uk]

Oh, I think we already have! In one recent thread, a group of regulars were branded as "The pitchfork brigade".

[Khensu]

I think we could find someone here to head that up.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

[DamonHD]

Hi David_UK,

Oooh, how exciting! Am I in this "pitchfork brigade", and if so, where do I sharpen my tines? If not, where can I apply? Fraud is fraud however the fraudsters may try to whittle it away and describe it as "victimless" or whatever...

(Given that I haven't done any farmwork in a while, and my current garden would fit on the back of a stamp, and my partner does all the gardening, it may have gotten rather rusty and blunt!)

Rgds

Damon

[Khensu]

Pitchfork? That is to slow and inefficient.

I think a fast-loading shot gun or the chain saw are my preferences, nobody ever expects those!

I like it up-close and personal.(typical New Yoker)

[david_uk]

Yeah, but I rather like the rural idea of pitchforks, being a son of "Hardy Country" down here in the south of England. Going in with all guns blazing doesn't have the same ring to it - sorry! Give me a pitchfork, floppy felt hat and a straw to chew on any day :)

[andrea99]

A pitchfork bot which summarily attacks and kills the cheaters while they sit at their keyboards will be sufficient.

edit: opps, forgot the smilie. :)

[Khensu]

I'll admit the pitchfork has its allure, mutiple strokes to get the job done, the actual thusting action.

Yes it it is quite charming in a rurual sort of way.

But I think the pandemic has gotten way out of hand and the 80mm Howitzer(ok Howitzer bot) is the way to go.

[Ehanson]

Pitchfork brigade? For some reason I think of a bunch of farmers or amish villagers. Maybe "the avengers" is more fitting:)

I think a nuclear bomb would be more effective at eradicating cheaters. Though, maybe that's a bit too dangerous. Maybe some sort of repellent spray is safer.

What were we talking about? Oh yes...if one wants to make money with adsense play it smart, don’t play to cheat.

[toldan]

Robbing a bank is a crime.
Violating the Adsense TOS is a contractual issue.

Quite a bit of difference there folks.

Cheating adsense is a crime too. I know Google sued some guy who cheated the system $80,000. I've read that last year somewhere.

[jomaxx]

That does not make it a crime.

[Andrew Bassett]

1) It's not ILLEGAL, just against the TOS.

2) Who knows, maybe he does have an arrangement with Google where he's allowed to entice clicks and Google in turn does not charge the advertisers for all those clicks.

[david_uk]

I really can't see Google allowing that. I think he's simply not read the TOS properly.

Anyway, this pichfork bot.......