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Seems pretty clear.
IANAL, but... - Is the '18' adjusted when the local age of legal majority is not 18? - Are there jurisdictions where this policy is in clear conflict with local law or case law?
Google is ultimately subject to the laws of the US where it's 18 at the federal level. It also doesn't really matter: if the policy says 18, it's 18.
Probably best not to do that then.
Yes, it is very unwise to use any Google product or service for any business purpose.
Google's not gating out under-18-year-olds for fun: they're a business, they'd love to make more money. Contract law in the US forbids people under 18 from entering into broad categories of contract, and Adsense use operates under electronic contract between user and Google where money changes hands in both directions. Google opens themselves up to huge liability if they inadvertently do business with a minor, which is why they're so paranoid about the lock-out.
"By submitting an application to use the Services, if you are an individual, you represent that you are at least 18 years of age... Google may at any time terminate your Account because of ... your failure to otherwise fully comply with the AdSense Policies... If ... Google suspends or terminates your Account, you (i) are prohibited from creating a new Account, and (ii) may not be permitted to monetize content on oth…
I really really wish the internet was more supportive of "early hackers" who want to experiment. I get that there are tons of implications around contract law and child labor here, but there really needs to be an escape hatch if a parent agrees to whatever activity is being done. Ostensibly, this is a young creator getting discouraged from their hobby, even though they've shown that they're good enough at it to deserve some form of compensation. This'll leave a bad taste in the kid's mouth for a long time.
I don't have time to deal with their accounts getting locked and so on, even if there are other issues.
Granted they also don't get free reign on the internet / outside parental view anyhow.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, it is very unwise to use any Google product or service for any business purpose.
It's very unwise to lie to a service provider when they explicitly ask, especially when setting up an account where money will change hands. That is technically actual fraud. Google's not gating out under-18-year-olds for fun: they're a business, they'd love to make more money. Contract law in the US forbids people under 18 from entering into broad categories of contract, and Adsense use operates under electronic con…
I received a lifelong ban on using Google Ad products when I was 16 after experimenting with clicking my own ads (and asking my high school friends to click on them). I remember the account accumulated almost $80 before Google detected the suspicious activity and banned me. Given that this was 16 years ago, it would be nice to get second chance..
A 13-year-old boy sets up Adsense for his Youtube channel and his father is told that his son is now banned from Adsense/Admob for a lifetime. This is what you get when you have no humans in the loop.
What would having a human in the loop accomplish in this case? Doesn't strike me as the poster child of a massive injustice
Google's growth rates are starting to plateau, and they might want to revisit the legion of people they've robobanned from spending on their platforms.