Google to crack down on AdSense publishers?

According to Jen at Jensense, GoogleGuy (Matt Cutts) announced at a WebMasterWorld conference that if you click on the “Ads by Google” link on sites you believe are spamming, and include the keyword “spamreport” in the feedback form, then the report will be sent to the AdSense team for review of potential violations of AdSense Terms and Conditions.

The first problem here is that Google has apparently set this up to combat scraper sites – but Google remains vague in what way such targeted sites constitute a violation of use of Google AdSense in it’s Terms of Agreement:

in any action or practice that reflects poorly on Google or otherwise disparages or devalues Google’s reputation or goodwill.

Hardly specific. And that’s the problem – what constitutes “action or practice that reflects poorly on Google”? What “devalues Google’s reputation or goodwill”? Does this mean Google-critical material is especially at risk from violation of AdSense terms and conditions?

Additionally, on the Google AdSense Policies page it simply advises against issues such as cloaking and doorways – nothing against the setting up of scraper sites.

Further, it is not made clear what action is to be taken by Google on such a report. Are site pages to be completely removed from SERPs? Will Google send an e-mail warning of violations to AdSense account owner warning that corrections are required? Or will Google simply and completely suspend AdSense accounts without further notice?

I don’t run scraper sites, or use doorways or cloaking – but the statements make me uneasy as an AdSense publisher, because the goalposts of acceptability and accountability appear to have moved, without any information provided to publishers on what way they have moved.

Additionally, there is no statement regarding how publisher interests will be protected, not least with regards to malicious reporting. After all, this site, Platinax, appears to have been hand removed from Yahoo! over a malicious DMCA report last November. The safeguards are not present at Yahoo! – how will Google ensure they are present for AdSense publishers?

This also invites the question, of at which point does using AdSense on multiple sites constitute a liability to overall AdSense income? If running multiple sites, is it not simply worth paying £50 to incorporate each into a limited company?

I run multiple sites, and although I don’t have to use AdSense on any of them, I do so to provide a bonus income. It’s not huge, but it’s enough to pay a significant fraction of my overall webhosting costs, and the key reason for using it.

I’m therefore concerned at the possibility of losing this income stream on the basis of Google making arbitrary decisions on uncertain based on malicious claims.

I don’t expect Google to provide a blow-by-blow account of what they consider to be “spam” sites, but when Google make pronouncements that they intend to take action against webmasters who violate Google AdSense terms and conditions, it would be helpful to know what action is to be taken and under what conditions – and especially what safeguards and issues of accountability Google may have in place with regards to malicious reporting.