Questions Dog Google Blogger's Monetization Ban of Adult Blogs

LOS ANGELES—In the digital version of dropping leaflets on a city to warn the inhabitants that a bombing raid is imminent, Google has been sending emails (pictured) to the admins of adult blogs hosted on Blogger, warning them that its current policy prohibiting the monetization of adult content is about to be updated and enforced. The messaging of the supposed change in policy is a tad confused, however. For instance, the email to admins reads, “Please be advised that on June 30, 2013, we will be updating our Content Policy to strictly prohibit the monetization of Adult content on Blogger.” But it is not yet June 30, and the policy, as you can read here, already forbids such monetization: Adult Content: We do allow adult content on Blogger, including images or videos that contain nudity or sexual activity. But, please mark your blog as 'adult' in your Blogger settings. Otherwise, we may put it behind a 'mature content' interstitial. There are some exceptions to our adult content policy: * Do not use Blogger as a way to make money on adult content. For example, don't create blogs where a significant percentage of the content is ads or links to commercial porn sites. * No incest or bestiality content: We do not allow image, video or text content that depicts or encourages incest or bestiality. Maybe the update will clarify what precisely is forbidden, because from the wording above they seem to allow some ads and links while also asking people not to use Blogger to make money from adult content. That is the definition of vague. But there seem to be some other complicating issues, as well. According to The Verge, “Some users have taken to Google's Product Forums to question the new policy, with some blog owners surprised that they received the email despite the fact they have never posted on their website.” Additionally, a member of the adult webmaster forum GFY.com said enforcement of the ban on monetization has been ongoing for years. “Nothing new,” reads the post. “I have had blogs in blogger and tumblr deleted during 2011 and 2012, for being adult in nature and using affiliate links. Now I have learned the lesson and only use them as feeder sites. But this is nothing new, both tumblr and blogger have been doing this since a long time.” CNET’s Violet Blue remains concerned, tweeting today, “I know SO many artists, authors, writers, photographers and ordinary people who will be devastated by Google deleting their blogs on Monday.” It would appear that all of these people still have time to remove prohibited ads and/or links, but it's understandable if they don’t know what to do to become compliant. It remains unclear from both the current policy and the email sent to admins what exactly is prohibited and what is allowed. Hopefully, all of it will be cleared up on Monday without too much (or any!) digital bloodletting.