Google Filters Torrents From Search Results
Written by Ernesto on August 08, 2007Google has been filtering its search results for years. That’s proven very useful for the Chinese government, and of course content owner representatives like the MPAA and RIAA. According to Google, the filtering of torrents from the search results is a response to the DMCA complaints they receive.
So, apparently one day Google decided that it is illegal in nearly every country of the world to host a .torrent file that (allegedly) links to infringing material. Strange, because there is no legal precedent for this decision in most countries.
The owner of SumoTorrent told TorrentFreak that he discovered that A search on Google for sumotorrent now triggers the following message at the bottom of the results page:
“In response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 1 result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal(s) at ChillingEffects.org.”
A search for other BitTorrent sites like Torrentspy and Torrentreactor comes up with the same message (note. the sites are still indexed but some results are removed). Strangely enough, for torrentreactor it only shows up for a search on the .com domain.
According to Google the filtered search results are caused by DMCA complaints , but the owner of SumoTorrent is a little surprised by this. He has no clue why the “content owner” didn’t contact him directly because he generally processes takedown notices within 24 hours. Unfortunately the link Google provides to the complaint in question doesn’t work, and a search on ChillingEffects.org doesn’t really help much either.
One of the few BitTorrent related DMCA complaints Google received concerned Paris Hilton’s famous . This notice was sent by Jim Salomon, the brother of Rick Salomon who used to date Paris. The complaint is hilarious, Jim even complains why it takes Google more than 4 hours to remove the .torrent in question. Funny or not, eventually Google decided to remove the .torrent file in question from their search results.
What Google has done isn’t really that revolutionary because most administrators of BitTorrent sites take down torrent files themselves upon request. However, the main reason for this is that they don’t want endless legal battles. They see it as a service to the content owners to remove the .torrent files if a decent request is made. But I kind of hoped that Google would make a stand here, wishful thinking so it seems.So what do you think? Should Google filter their results like this?
Previously: Television Studios Embrace BitTorrent
Next: uTorrent Takes on the BitTorrent Scammers
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Google has always filtered certain results in response to DMCA requests. Its not a question of whether they should, its a question of whether the law is just. They probably have no choice.
Now thats odd….I just read this…went to google did a search for sumotorrent and it popped right up….1st link. As far as I can tell they are not filtering searches for torrent sites or torrents for that matter.
So why do people freak out when torrent sites like isoHunt do the same? Unfounded finger pointing, the bandwagon mentality, and ignorance of the facts in favour of sensationalist bold face headlined as is so common with the average Digg user would have us all believe the end of the world is comming because organisations comply with DMCA reguests. I doubt we’ll see anyone screaming about freedom of speach in this case. Has anyone told Brokep yet? Haha.
A search for ‘torrentspy’ returns a similar message.
How about doing a post on google-alternatives then?
[quote comment="144005"]A search for other BitTorrent sites like Torrentspy and Torrentreactor comes up with the same message.[/quote]
Strangely enough, a search on “mininova”, “piratebay” and other big sites return nothing !
Anyway, if Google starts removing links to torrents and getting ahead of the responsibility of webmasters, then this is the beginning of the end …
Also, why Google start censor torrent links, and keep links to the worst things in the world…
Do not trust Google !
Searching from the UK is OK for all those sites.
Searches work from mainland europe too.
The matter is not finding the main site, it is that Google has removed some links to torrents page of those sites.
[quote comment="144007"]How about doing a post on google-alternatives then?[/quote]
AltaVista is an okay alternative. It’s essentially Yahoo! Search, though. While is has some of the same features as Google, they aren’t as developed. (like with image search — you can’t be directly linked to the image)
I don’t live in the US….The DMCA doesn’t apply to me!!
Why is Google filtering its results for people outside the US?
Ernesto, you should cite this example:
1. Go to google.com and search for:
tiananmen square
also look at the image results.
2. Go to google.cn and try the same search.
Amazing censorship!
This is all american technology allowing them to censor their internet.
@Jpeezy
That’s even worse indeed :(
But not related to BitTorrent
[quote comment="144026"]Searches work from mainland europe too.[/quote]
You can find the sites, but they removed some pages (linking to an “infringing” torrent) from the results
Removed 2 comments
All searches are working for me…I’m in Georgia, US right now…
But I agree wholeheartedly with badnews up there
[quote comment="144079"]All searches are working for me…I’m in Georgia, US right now…
But I agree wholeheartedly with badnews up there[/quote]
Try this:
http://www.google.com/search?q=sumotorrent
And scroll to the bottom of the results, you should see the message there.
Ummmm google has been doing this for the longest time now, how is this news?
Just another reason not to use Google. I don’t, I won’t and it’s their loss. I’d like to see them manage this nightmare when Torrent becomes more popular as a file distribution method. Oh the conflicts that will cause.
This is interesting. How does this differ from Google’s policy in China?
“In response to a complaint we received under the We Have to Restrict the Freedom of Speech Act by Chinese Government, we have removed 1 result(s) from this page.”
they didn’t hit my torrent site, bytorr.com, no DMCA notices at all, but then we are a meta search engine and blog. Too funny.
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