Monetization Policy
Last updated: March 30, 2026
WarWatch.World is free to access, has no paywalls, and never charges users. Advertising revenue is used solely to cover server, API, and maintenance costs.
1. Why We Show Ads
WarWatch.World is an open-source project with no subscription fees. Operating the platform incurs ongoing costs including:
- Cloud hosting (Vercel)
- Anthropic Claude API usage (AI Analyst and report generation)
- NewsAPI.org subscription
- Domain registration
Advertising through Google AdSense is the sole revenue mechanism used to cover these costs. We believe this is preferable to charging users or seeking grants from organizations with political interests in conflict reporting.
2. Advertising Provider
We use Google AdSense exclusively. Google serves advertisements automatically based on site content and, if cookies are enabled, user interest data. WarWatch.World does not control which specific ads are shown.
Google's advertising is subject to its own policies including the Google Advertising Policy and AdSense Program Policies.
3. Ad Placement
Ad units are placed in the following locations:
| Placement | Format | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Below header | 970×90 leaderboard | All pages |
| Left sidebar | 160×600 vertical | Desktop, homepage |
| Right sidebar | 160×600 vertical | Desktop, homepage |
| Right column | 300×600 half-page | Content pages |
| In-content | 300×250 rectangle | Reports, Markets |
| Mobile sticky | 320×50 anchor | Mobile only |
| Footer | 728×90 / 300×250 | All pages |
All ad units are lazy-loaded to minimize impact on page performance. Ads do not autoplay audio or use interstitial overlays that block content.
4. Editorial Independence
Advertising revenue does not influence our editorial decisions. Specifically:
- We do not accept sponsored content, native advertising, or paid conflict coverage
- Advertisers have no influence over conflict severity classifications, event descriptions, or AI analysis
- We do not suppress or amplify coverage of any conflict based on advertiser interests
- Ad serving is fully automated by Google — we do not manually select ads
5. Sensitive Content & Ad Policy Compliance
As a conflict-tracking platform, WarWatch.World operates in a category that requires careful attention to Google AdSense content policies. We comply with these policies by:
- Presenting all conflict information as factual status updates, not sensationalized or gratuitous content
- Not displaying graphic imagery, graphic violence descriptions, or content designed to shock
- Maintaining strict political neutrality to avoid content that "promotes hatred" as defined in AdSense policies
- Clearly labeling AI-generated content
- Providing clear Editorial, Privacy, and Terms pages as required by Google
If you believe an advertisement displayed on this site violates Google's policies, you may report it to Google directly.
6. Opting Out of Personalized Ads
You can opt out of personalized advertising through:
- Google Ads Settings
- Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out
- Network Advertising Initiative opt-out
- Your browser's built-in cookie management settings
Non-personalized ads may still be shown based on page content rather than user interests.
7. Future Monetization
Should WarWatch.World ever introduce additional monetization mechanisms (e.g., donations, API access tiers), this policy will be updated and announced via the GitHub repository. Any future monetization will continue to maintain full editorial independence.