Pundits are informally calling the new ads "behaviorally targeted," and they work like this: Google will install cookies on computers that track web surfing habits. When a consumers visits a certain kind of site, they'll be more likely to see AdSense ads for that type of content later.
At first glance, this looks like a nonissue. Google's terms of service categorically prohibit adult content of any kind. That means that, supposedly, adult companies can't buy AdSense ads, and by association, AdSense ads can't appear anywhere online.
But over the years, online reports have surfaced suggesting that there might be some give in the system. Writing for the AdSense and AdWords Beginners Blog, tech pundit Rainer suggested that there might be a way to slip through the cracks.
"But of course, there is a lot of content that is bordering on the mature content line," he said. "In fact, some webmasters play the gamy of trying to get more page views by intentionally bordering on that line. I suspect, they get their revenue from advertisers who are also close to violating the AdWords TOS. AdWords, too, prohibits explicit ads."
Joe Fredricks of FMG Media told XBIZ that although he's never tried to slip any adult ads by Google, he speculated that it might be possible.
"I guess you could play cat and mouse, but when dealing with cash, Google is a lot more attentive than they otherwise would be," he told XBIZ. "If your ad pops up on the wrong site, it's an instant complaint."
Regardless of whether or not adult ads can finagle their way into the system, Google's new advertising platform has raised the concern of privacy advocates. Given that the behavioral targeting can present users with any kind of ad on any kind of site, there's the possibility that someone might see an ad they don't want to.
"Google will also look at all the sites you've visited lately," write Robert X. Cringely for for InfoWorld.com. "So if you're searching for, say, 'baby wipes' and all you see are ads for porn, Google knows you've been a naughty little monkey."
Google is hoping to pre-empt this concern by giving users the option to control what kinds of ads they see.
"To provide greater privacy protections to users, we will not serve interest-based ads based on sensitive interest categories," said Nicole Wong, one of Google's legal representatives. "For example, we don’t have health status interest categories or interest categories designed for children."
Users can modify their ad preferences through the ad preferences manager.