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Google Reportedly Blacklists 'Ethereum' As a Google Ad Keyword, Startup Claims (yahoo.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Yahoo: Google has reportedly blacklisted keywords mentioning Ethereum (ETH) on its advertising platform Google Ads, smart contract auditing startup Decenter tweeted on Jan. 10. The official Google Ads account replied to the tweet stating that cryptocurrency exchanges targeting the United States and Japan can be advertised on the platform, and that targeting other countries could be the reason for the ad rejection.

When Decenter explained that they are a group of developers doing smart contract security audits and that they were seeing the error message when trying to use the "ethereum development services" and "ethereum security audits" keywords, Google Ads' official account answered: "Although we wouldn't be able to preemptively confirm if your keyword is eligible to trigger ads, we'd recommend that you refer to the 'Cryptocurrencies' section of our policy on Financial products and services." When Decenter asked the Ethereum community on Reddit in an open query about the alleged Google Ads policy changes, the team specified that: "Any of the keywords that contain "ethereum" in our campaigns are no longer showing ads as of January 9th and are now reporting the following error."
Decenter said they have tested keywords for "ethereum smart contract audits" and "eos smart contract audits" and found that only the EOS-referenced keyword showed ads.

Google banned all cryptocurrency-related advertising of all types in June 2018. However, Google announced in September 2018 that it would change its ad policy in October, reallowing some crypto businesses to advertise on its platform. Namely, the changes allow cryptocurrency exchanges ads in the United States and Japan.

43 comments

  1. undependence terrifies crown royal skinflints by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    just watch.

    1. Re:undependence terrifies crown royal skinflints by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think undependence terrifies editors and proofreaders.

  2. who ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Would waste their money advertising a crypto coin?

    1. Re:who ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      People with a vested interest in crypto coin. AKA, people who believe they're near the top in this Ponzi scheme.

    2. Re: who ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Big brother will never be here and is your worst enemy

    3. Re:who ... by ArhcAngel · · Score: 1

      Etherium is not a crypto coin. It is a blockchain company/platform with which one can build a crypto coin or any other blockchain based technology. IBM has a blockchain department as do most of the big companies. I wouldn't be surprised to find Alphabet has either their own blockchain company or are heavily invested in a rival blockchain company.

      --
      "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
    4. Re:who ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would waste their money advertising a crypto con?

      FTFY

    5. Re: who ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So far, there have been 0 successful blockchain based companies. 0. Look it up.

  3. Ethereum? What about free Bitcoin and Dogecoin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  4. HODL!!! by Desler · · Score: 0

    Grifters. They know there are still plenty of crypto-morons out there.

    1. Re: HODL!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And you are wrong AGAIN.
      Morons donâ(TM)t buy crypto
      And they usually donâ(TM)t sell it, especially in exchange for more crypto.
      Morons only want paper with real dollar signs on it

    2. Re: HODL!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shouldn't the (TM) go after the word, rather than inside it? And it's spelled doughnut, but maybe that's why it's a trademark? Moron!

    3. Re: HODL!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The vowels go in the inside - buy one

  5. Google is invested in Crypto Currency by PKI+Champion · · Score: 1

    Alphabet invested $25 million into CurrencyCloud in 2017. Using its position as a search provider, I think this is a subtle way to influence the market in that direction.

    1. Re: Google is invested in Crypto Currency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ha they should trade all their liberals for all the conservatives see who laughs last

    2. Re:Google is invested in Crypto Currency by reanjr · · Score: 1

      So, you think Google finds crypto so valuable to their business model, they are willing to undermine user trust in their flagship product, and potentially open themselves up to anti-trust?

    3. Re: Google is invested in Crypto Currency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This. It just isn't worth it.

    4. Re:Google is invested in Crypto Currency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It wouldn't be their first go around with anti-trust. It is naive to think this sort of thing doesn't happen in industry. Market advantage can be a very profitable thing. Larger companies almost cannot help themselves from improving their chances.

  6. seller of ads dont wannt to sell spesific ads by bn-7bc · · Score: 1

    so go to another ad network then, personaly I don't see a problem no one forces anyon to use google add words, ther are alternatives right? I'm not up to speed on ads as I have not needed to take out one in a long time

    1. Re: seller of ads dont wannt to sell spesific ads by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except your socially inept overlords must go the way of the dodo They love money too much

  7. A sure way to get your AdWords account blocked. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I had the misfortune of getting my account banned for mentioning Ethereum.
    Not even as a broker, but more on the distributed apps angle.

    And do remember there is no real appeal process.
    Requests to unblock result in an email from an automated system,
    AdWords support centre just hangs up the call.

  8. In this case, people who know the problems with Et by raymorris · · Score: 4, Informative

    Their are several significant security issues around Ethereum. Basically, Ethereum isn't just a coin, it's a complete programming language. Ethereum is a vast collection not of coins, but of programs. You can write malware, or oopsware, in Ethereum.

    One of the most interesting things about code released on Ethereum is that you can't update it. Any bug you have, you're stuck with forever. People have lost a lot of money that way, suffered damage. So it's important to make sure your Ethereum code is 100% perfect, and avoid to code that makes any assumptions about the future. DNS entries change, companies are bought and sold - even entire countries come and go, with a new country emerging about every three years, on average. There are lots of ways to have code that needs to be updated. Ethereum code, since it can't be updated, can't assume that a country that exists today will still be there when the code runs.

    The advertiser in TFS is a security company that helps people make sure their Ethereum code is bullet proof. That's a useful service.

  9. Re: A sure way to get your AdWords account blocked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    if There is no real appeal process then ad is literally dead as far as I am concerned

  10. Re: google is liberal biased by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would literally never read an intangible argument like what you have written. I only read tangible arguments. Everything else goes straight into the shredder

  11. Re: A sure way to get your AdWords account blocked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The question is what do you mean. Y a real appeal process?
    If you mean I can call a specific number and ask a question, then yes I agree there is no real appeal process.
    If however, you can find a human and ask them a general question which will allow you to understand how to use tour ad words account, whether you call that a real appeal process or not, it is very similar, and in fact far more important than what you are thinking of

  12. Re: A sure way to get your AdWords account blocke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Correct. The number you dial for help is just the starting point not the ending point

  13. Re:In this case, people who know the problems with by reanjr · · Score: 2

    That doesn't change the fact that likely more than 90% of ads submitted with the keyword "Ethereum" are scams. Google operates using automated systems. It's reasonable they are trying to protect their customers from the cesspool of crypto advertising.

  14. Re:In this case, people who know the problems with by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Ethereum is also a severe competitor to google, for a decentralized web.

    Google is in essence; using its monopoly power to stifle competetiion

  15. Re:In this case, people who know the problems with by Desler · · Score: 1

    Smoking too much weed today?

  16. Re:who ... YOUR BOYFRIEND ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was. And so were you, with my cock halfway down your throat

  17. Time for a new search engine by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    A search engine not made by a politically active ad company.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  18. Crypto by maxiposik · · Score: 1

    That's a real problem for the ethereum, but usual costumers like me can take a look at bitcoins. The site https://duckdice.io/lottery gives an opportunity to win a great deal of cryptocurrencies! Good luck and don't fuck it up