Google Restores Links
from the pressure dept
I mentioned this as a comment in the Google story about them removing the Xenu links - but since that story has been pushed off the front page, I might as well mention that following a zillion or so blogs and news organizations posting the story of Google removing the links, they've put them back. The article also mentions the little "activist" gathering that headed over to Google today to confront them on this. I received a few emails telling me about that gathering and I have to admit that I don't agree with it. If they wanted to protest anyone it should have been either the folks who forced Google to take down the pages in the first place (Scientology's legal team) or the government for dumping the DMCA on us. I still think this isn't Google's battle to fight. By the way, if you now do a search on Google for scientology, not only do you get the links to Xenu, but it appears a number of people have taken out text ads linking to the Xenu site as well. Update: Someone has pointed out to me in an email that Google hasn't really put back the pages. They just put back the front page of the site, which was not accused of breaking the DMCA (and was taken down by mistake). However, the rest of the pages still do not show up at Google.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
It was not taken down by mistake
My only real complaint against Google, is that they acted without what appears to be any form of consideration. Although maybe you are right, perhaps it should not be their responsibility in any respect to judge the veracity of a claim. Regardless, something needs to be done to discourage deliberate baseless complaints.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: It was not taken down by mistake
I can't believe that everyone's getting on Google for this. Yell at the government for the way they wrote the DMCA. Yell at Scientology for forcing Xenu down.
The fact is that Google has to act this way to avoid a lawsuit that has nothing to do with them.
Whether or not the site actually is infringing, the way the DMCA is written, if someone complains, then it has to be taken down. I realize how incredibly stupid this is. But that doesn't change the fact that it's the law right now.
I agree that something needs to be done to discourage baseless complaints. But, I think it's unfair that everyone is suddenly saying that this is entirely Google's fault. All they did was abide by the law.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: It was not taken down by mistake
"All they did was abide by the law"... but if they just sit back and abide by the law without raising a stink, nothing will change.
Google should fight the good fight instead of accepting B.S. like this. And if *they* don't fight the fight, nothing will change. Laws don't change because people complain. Laws change because *corporations* complain. To deny this is to deny the plain truth sitting in front of your face.
That's why we are complaining to Google.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: It was not taken down by mistake
My complaint is that everyone immediately is blaming Google as if they've done something wrong. They haven't done anything wrong at all.
A lot of things were done wrong that created this mess - but none of them (in my opinion) were done by Google.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]