Reporting Publisher Click Fraud
JenSense is reporting that Google now allows people to report suspected click fraud against a publisher via the “Ads by Google” link that appears on AdSense ads.
This has my head scratching for a few reasons.
First, it allows for anonymous reporting, which makes easier for a unscrupulous competitor to try to bring a competing website down. Why would Google want anonymous reporting? If there really is click fraud going on, people should be willing to report it without hiding behind anonymity.
Second, how are people supposed to know about click fraud? The JenSense posting mentions a few things like click rings and emails soliciting clicks, but if that was the case, wouldn’t you want to send the email or the location of the click ring to Google? Why would you want to report it through the publisher’s web site?
This doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I can understand why Google wants to get a handle on click fraud, but this doesn’t seem to be a good way of doing it.
Papadoc Said,
July 20, 2005 @ 9:14 am
I can think of several reasons. It’s not just clicking on your own ads that is click-fraud, but inducing others to do so as well. But first, I would comment that it is merely a reporting tip tool, not one that is taken as gospel… more or less a red flag. Second, I’d not want to be the one to fraudulently report a competitor. If Google can tell that you are clicking on your own page, can’t they tell that it is you (Mr. Anonymous) that you are reporting your competitor? Things that make you say HMMM!
REASONS:
If you happen to be in a given niche, it makes sense that you are scouting who else is in that niche. But let’s say that you come across a site where the site owner has a big friggin banner up asking people to click on his AdSense ads. Now if you are an advertiser, this is probably going to annoy the mess out of you enough to where you would report it. Google can then go to the page identified and see for themselves.
You’d mentioned forwarding the email to Google. All well and good except for one thing and that is email spoofing. Who’s to say who actually sent an email, and who is to say that someone could not fabricate such a thing if they were really interested in harming someone?
Clicking right from the site probably also gives Google a way to identify a given URL. When they are guided directly to the page where the supposed fraud is happening, it is an instant yes or no… no doubt about it.
Why would they allow anonymous? If you are an advertiser or another publisher, you probably aren’t as anonymous as you might think. They know who you are. BUT… they probably figure that the potential for reporting legitimate abuse is much higher if people don’ have to identify themselves. People are generally wimps and generally run scared of even being noticed. “What if this person gets mad at me for reporting them and decides to take revenge or sue me? (shiver-shiver-shake-shake)” Forget about unethical practices… I’ve met many people on boards who would let criminal activity go unreported, simply because they don’t wish to be involved.
Toivo Lainevool Said,
July 21, 2005 @ 5:54 pm
You make some good points Papadoc. Re-reading my original post I realize that I was probably a little harsh in my criticism. Anything that helps to reduce click-fraud and TOS violations is a good thing for the whole AdSense ecosystem, so I hope that this new reporting mechanism helps to make things better.
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August 27, 2006 @ 9:13 am
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