https://www.google.com/adsense/supp...d=aso&subid=ww-ww-et-resourcestab&medium=link is this the TOS everyone talks about? the only thing they say about images in this or the Adsense legal document is not to place misleading images next to ads. IMO these images arent misleading or close enough to look connected to the ads. anyone else have a quick opinion to share please?
It's hard to summarize whether doing this will actually go against the TOS. To me, I would not proceed with it because basically the images are placed too close to the google ads and it may try to confuse the visitors to click on it somehow. Best is, to set them apart with clear defined boundaries or else you are taking a risk here. You know how strict google is right?
Yes, the newer version is definitely better because it is pretty obvious what are ads and what is content because of the divider lines. The first version could "possibly" violate the TOS due to the image placement issues. One thing you want to remember is that when using Adsense : if there is even a shadow of a doubt, don't do it.