Can Google Adsense Ban You for Showing Your Stats and Earnings?

© 2012 by Aurelio Locsin.

Like many who write on the Internet, you want to earn cash for your efforts. So you do your best to implement Google Adsense profitably and comply with its Terms of Service. Pride in your work compels you to announce your accomplishments when you reach self-imposed milestones. And you may do so by displaying your statistics and earnings, which also help others achieve profit goals.

Despite your ideals in showing this information, you may suffer a ban from the entity you want to satisfy. Google Adsense has specific guidelines for revealing this information, which you violate at your own peril.

Paragraph 7 of the Adsense Terms and Conditions contains the following information, which I’ve underlined and formatted as needed for this hub:

Confidentiality. You agree not to disclose Google Confidential Information without Google's prior written consent. "Google Confidential Information" includes without limitation:

(a) All Google software, technology, programming, specifications, materials, guidelines and documentation relating to the Program;

(b) Click-through rates or other statistics relating to Property performance in the Program provided to You by Google; and

(c) Any other information designated in writing by Google as "Confidential" or an equivalent designation.

However, You may accurately disclose the amount of Google’s gross payments to You pursuant to the Program. Google Confidential Information does not include information that has become publicly known through no breach by You or Google, or information that has been:

(i) Independently developed without access to Google Confidential Information, as evidenced in writing;

(ii) Rightfully received by You from a third party; or

(iii) Required to be disclosed by law or by a governmental authority.

The first underlined statement would seem to prevent the disclosure of any Google Confidential Information including the traffic statistics listed in a to c.

• The prohibitions specifically spell out click-thru rates, which is the number of times a user clicks on a Google ad compared to the number of times the add appears. This is usually expressed as a percentage.
• They also cover anything else with the phrase other statistics relating to Property performance...

Interestingly, the terms do not specify the penalties for violating these rules. However, I’ve known enough Internet writers who were banned from the Adsense program for going against more obscure terms. This seems the most likely penalty for any violation and is obviously a devastating blow if the program is your only source of Internet income.

And yet the statement after the lettered list contains an interesting exception. It allows the disclosure of the amount of Google’s gross payments. This mean you can specify the daily, weekly, monthly or yearly payments you receive from Google, as long as you don’t associate it with a click-thru rate. In other words, you can reveal earning $100 a month, but not $1.25 per click.

Other loopholes also appear in paragraphs i to iii. You can reveal information that has become publicly known, is independently developed or rightfully received by you from a third party. This means if the information is available away from the Adsense website, such as through Alexa or through the HubPages Stats tab, then that information is not considered confidential.

You don’t have to worry about revealing any data that anyone can access outside of Google Adsense.

You can also reveal gross payments, even though this is only available through Google Adsense.

As proof of these conclusions, I offer my own hub entitled One Month at HubPages with Panda: Compare Your Stats and Earnings with Mine.

All this information came from HubPages. And Google Adsense has not banned me.

If you have any insight into revealing traffic statistics or you were banned by Google, feel free to put that information in Comments below. Your revelations can only help us to earn revenue wisely.