Why was I banned from Adsense?

Can my site get banned from Adsense for having the words "whore" "prostitute" "pornography" on an otherwise well-respected site?

• We've gotten an automated warning from Adsense that if we don't remove such content, our site will be banned from Adsense. However, we are a really well-liked site - we are even in the default-on Photos layer in Google Earth - we've got a content partnership with Google. Does that mean anything, or will we get banned all the same? For clarity, here are some example links mentioned in the automated email we received from Google: http://www.360cities.net/image/san-rafael"pimps and whores" http://www.360cities.net/image/zluta-pumpa-99-3-in-prague-czech-republic-by-jeffrey-martin"pornography" http://www.360cities.net/image/mustek-in-prague-czech-republic "hookers"

• Answer:

  Here is the relevant portion of the AdSense content policy: Sites with Google ads may not include or link to: Pornography, adult or mature content Violent content Content related to racial intolerance or advocacy against any individual, group or organisation Excessive profanity Hacking/cracking content Gambling or casino-related content Illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia content Sales of beer or hard alcohol Sales of tobacco or tobacco-related products Sales of prescription drugs Sales of weapons or ammunition (e.g. firearms, firearm components, fighting knives, stun guns) Sales of products that are replicas or imitations of designer or other goods Sales or distribution of coursework or student essays Content regarding programs which compensate users for clicking ads or offers, performing searches, surfing websites or reading emails Any other content that is illegal, promotes illegal activity or infringes on the legal rights of others If you're simply mentioning hookers, pornography, and pimps and whores I don't think it falls under any of those criteria. There doesn't seem to be an excess of profanity. Were these pages examples given by the automated AdSense warning? That's the risk with automation. It can't always properly differentiate between a legitimate site and one that is actually violating the terms. I wish I could say with certainty they gave a final human review before making a banning decision, but every ban I have read about was entirely automated (at least as far as the AdSense owner sees, it is possible that there is a human review step in there). While the answer should be no, it is entirely possible that mentioning those words could trigger their filters and get you banned. If AdSense revenues are an important part of your business model, then I recommend giving your site a thorough analysis. The reinstatement process for a banned account can sometimes take months. I recommend evaluating your entire website, from a content and security standpoint. It's possible that there are other signals that Google is picking up on. It looks like your website allows user generated content? Allowing users to contribute content can quickly lead to excessive profanity or inappropriate material. (That being said, there are many, many forums which display AdSense ads and have content violating these terms.) If you can't read through everything, then run some queries for certain words which might be triggering their filters. Finally, ensure your site hasn't been hacked in some way. There is always a possibility that someone has maliciously inserted content onto your website that is setting off flags with Google. As for being in a content partnership with Google, this most likely won't matter - especially if it's entirely automated. Google has shown that they aren't afraid to stand by their policies and principles, even when it hurts important partners. (Think search algorithm updates causing EHow to lose rankings - one of their biggest AdSense advertisers.)