Executive Summary
Google AdSense is the dominant publisher-side ad network, part of Alphabet Inc.'s advertising ecosystem that includes DoubleClick, Google Ads, and Google Marketing Platform. BLACKOUT runtime analysis shows a 5.7% pre-consent tracking rate across 264 detections on 255 sites—significantly better than industry peers like AdRoll (85.4%) but technically non-zero. Unlike competitors, Google explicitly states "We never sell your personal information to anyone" and provides robust user controls through My Ad Center. The 5.7% pre-consent rate primarily reflects third-party implementation issues rather than Google's defaults, as Google provides consent integration tools (Funding Choices, CMP APIs). On Google-owned properties (adsense.google.com), detected tracking is predominantly first-party Google services. For publishers using AdSense, the risk profile is implementation-dependent—proper consent integration eliminates most compliance exposure.
Revenue Threat Profile
4 COLLAPSE VECTORSHow this vendor creates financial exposure. Each score (0-100) reflects observed runtime behavior and documented business practices.
CAC Subsidization
AdSense attribution is generally reliable within Google's ecosystem, though cross-platform attribution accuracy depends on consent implementation. Google's walled garden approach means data stays within their measurement system.
Signal Corruption
Unlike competitors, Google explicitly does not sell personal information. Data remains within Alphabet's ecosystem rather than flowing to external data brokers. This is a meaningful differentiator.
Legal Tail Risk
As a Google property, AdSense inherits Alphabet's security infrastructure. Attack surface is well-documented and extensively audited. Third-party vendors on adsense.google.com (Scrapemagic, Bytemine) warrant investigation.
GTM Attack Surface
5.7% pre-consent rate is implementation-dependent. Google provides consent tools (Funding Choices, CMP integration) that, when properly implemented, can achieve full compliance. Risk is on the publisher, not Google.