rogue site

why is this *still* selling adsense?

[biscuit]

This site keeps hotlinking to our images, and is literally a one-page doorway to another MFA one-page link directory crammed with adsense ads.

If you google the url - which I don't think the forum admin will allow me to give - you find most messages are about how to stop it making itself the browser's default web page.

This is pure black hat, and gives adsense a bad name, yet it runs adsense, and though we keep reporting it, G does nothing. Even worse, because the image it keeps stealing has our logo, WE are getting complaints because users think the browser hijack was somehow our doing.

[biscuit]

This keeps getting better ... this site is actually 'promoted' by the worm W32.Imaut.U which hijacks browsers and then greys out the options box so users can't change the homepage URL back. It's been running for the last 12 months.

And, when people are booted for far less, they are allowed to keep their adsense account?

[yolkman]

Can't you just disable hot-linking from your panel?

[edited by: martinibuster at 8:25 am (utc) on June 3, 2008]
[edit reason] See TOS [/edit]

[biscuit]

Yes, we have disabled hotlinking, though the site seems determined to use our images. My point is that this individual has a Google publisher account, despite being a malware artist. We've pointed this out to G, but there he is. Why?

[zett]

We've pointed this out to G, but there he is. Why?

I also reported a group of sites that uses Adwords to drive traffic to shady sites (opening new browser window, going to full screen mode, disabling back button, full of affiliate links) - but after two years they are still in operation.

At best, I'd say there are no clear rules across the Google organization on how to deal with such complaints, i.e. the action (or lack of) seems to very much depend upon who works on your complaint.

At worst, they might be earning so much money from this that they have decided to "look away" from this kind of issue. After all, they have analysts and shareholders to satisfy.

[himalayaswater]

Google Adsense will only take action if you submit DMCA notice. I've noticed that many people steal my images and article on blogspot.com and adds adsense. The simplest way stop is activate hotlinking feature. Use subdomain for all your images and block everyone except your own domain and Google, MSN, Yahoo image search.

[StoutFiles]

Go into your .htaccess file and have the site blocked. Easy as pie.

[iridiax]

From what I've observed, Adsense will only take action if the offending site could clearly harm Adwords advertisers (deceptive ad placement, encouraging clicks, etc.).

DMCA notices, hotlink protection, and blocking the scraper bots is the best way to deal with these rogue sites.