Can I remove ads with inappropriate or unwelcome content from my blog?

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  osucurator · Member · Jul 5, 2011 at 3:38 pm

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  A reader recently complained that at the bottom of my most recent post, there was an advertisement for video chat that was clearly intended to be sexual in nature. We try to reach a broad audience, and these ads are dismaying to many. Is it possible to restrict the content of ads shown on the blog to “family-friendly” choices?
  Blog url: http://osuma.wordpress.com/

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  staff-blorbo · Staff · Jul 5, 2011 at 7:23 pm

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  To support the service (and keep free features free), we sometimes run advertisements. We try hard to only run them in limited places. If you would like to completely eliminate ads from appearing on your blog, we offer the No-Ads Upgrade: http://en.support.wordpress.com/no-ads/

  The ads are chosen contextually by Google, so we don’t have complete control over them. There should be an “Ads by Google” link below the ad that allows you to report the ad as inappropriate.

  If not, would you please take a screenshot and upload it to your media library via Media -> Add New in your blog’s Dashboard?

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  osucurator · Member · Jul 5, 2011 at 7:30 pm

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  I can’t see the ad, only my reader can. Actually, I’ve never seen an ad on the site; is that because I’m logged in?

  FWIW, I doubt Google would consider the ad inappropriate, so I’m not sure reporting it would help. Although the idea that sex chat is cleverly contextualized advertising for a blog about an art museum is ludicrous.

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  staff-blorbo · Staff · Jul 5, 2011 at 7:33 pm

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  They actually take claims about inappropriate ads very seriously, as it puts their company’s reputation on the line.

  You won’t see ads when you’re logged in, but if you logout you should see them eventually.

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  osucurator · Member · Jul 5, 2011 at 7:41 pm

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  Well, when I say I don’t think they’d find it inappropriate, I just mean that I think the complaints are coming from a perspective that is out of line with the norm of internet advertising. This particular reader probably also objects to the advertisements for losing weight. But the ad in question doesn’t contain any explicit or offensive material in a legal sense; so I am not criticizing Google’s decision-making process, just its claim to be contextual :)

  Thanks for your help, I’ll let her know she can report it if she likes.