Change could impact web security — Google Adsense
More domains will be monetized with ad networks that don’t do a good job of stopping scams and malware.
Google is opting all advertisers out of AdSense for Domains, which will likely lead to the ad program’s demise.
This is a blow to domain monetization and the domain industry as a whole. But beyond that, it could negatively impact the broader web.
Many purists loath domain parking pages, but until now, at least most have been filled with high-quality and mostly-safe ads from Google.
Yes, Google Adwords occasionally has scam ads and ads that spread malware.
But it remains the cleanest ad feed out there. As AdSense for Domains goes away, you can expect more parked domains to be monetized by tier-two ad feeds and zero-click advertising.
Tier-two ad feeds generally have fewer protections against bad ads than AdWords.
Zero-click ads, in particular, are notorious for leading users through chains of redirects that can end in scammy or malicious landing pages. Some firms in the space are working to clean things up, but it remains a persistent problem. It’s not uncommon for users to click a zero-click ad and bounce through five or more redirects ahead of landing on a phishing or malware site.
The more domains that are monetized by second-tier and zero-click ads, the more likely innocent web users will encounter “bad” ads.
It’s not Google’s fault that these other networks aren’t as clean, but it’s an unfortunate consequence of the firm’s decision to step back from AdSense for Domains.
