Class action lawsuit against GOOGLE for blacklisted websites - GoFuckYourself.com

Hollywood376 · 03-18-2006, 06:11 PM

Read the story here

Web Site Files Complaint Against Google
Mar 17 6:36 PM US/Eastern

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Business Writer

SAN FRANCISCO

Google Inc.'s mysterious methods for ranking Web sites came under attack Friday in a lawsuit accusing the online search engine leader of ruining scores of Internet businesses that have been wrongfully banished from its index.

The civil complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose by KinderStart.com, seeks to be certified as a class action representing the owners of all Web sites blacklisted by Google's Internet-leading search engine since January 2001.

KinderStart, a Norwalk-based Web site devoted to information about children, says it was dropped from Google's index a year ago without warning.

"The world is becoming increasingly 'Googlized,'" said Gregory Yu, a lawyer for KinderStart. "For most people, that has been a good thing, but not for everyone."

A Google spokesman said the company hadn't seen the suit and had no immediate comment.

KinderStart alleges Google has engaged in anticompetitive behavior and misled the public by positioning its search engine as an objective source for finding Internet content. The suit seeks unspecified financial damages and a court order that would require Google to change its ways.

The case aims at Google's heart _ its tightly guarded formula for ranking Web sites.

Google's system strives to elevate in search results the Web sites with content most relevant to a request. Because Google handles far more search requests than its rivals, its ranking system can make or break Web sites without a well-known domain name.

With the stakes so high, Web sites assigned a low Google ranking are constantly trying to elevate their standing, and an entire cottage industry has formed surrounding search engine optimization. Some sites resort to dirty tricks, hoping the shenanigans will fool Google into highlighting their Web links.

Google regularly tweaks its search formula to weed out the mischief makers _ sometimes called "Black Hats." In the worst cases, Google exiles the manipulative Web sites, a practice that has become known as being sent to "the sandbox" for the equivalent of a children's time out.

KinderStart's lawsuit alleges Google's policing efforts have penalized Web sites that have done nothing wrong. To make matters worse, the suit alleges the banished sites can't determine how they can restore their standings because the company doesn't explain its actions.

Mountain View-based Google has previously defended its right to revise its search formula however it sees fit.

In 2003, Google persuaded a federal judge to dismiss a case filed by Oklahoma City-based Search King Inc. after its search ranking abruptly fell. Google argued its search ranking formula represented an opinion protected by the First Amendment, and U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles- LaGrange agreed.

This time, KinderStart is the one making accusations of free-speech violations _ in Google's case, by reducing the traffic sent to Web sites that have been wrongfully punished.

KinderStart said its traffic plunged by 70 percent after Google dropped it. At its peak, KinderStart's visitors viewed more than 10 million Web pages per month, according to the suit.

Yu hopes to prove Google has become an "essential facility" that should be required to warn Web sites before dropping them from the index. "We don't really feel there is enough transparency and openness in a service that has become so important," Yu said.

Google has always been tightlipped about how its search engine's works, maintaining the secrecy is essential to its success.

mrkris · 03-18-2006, 06:19 PM

That is so fucking retarded. You don't pay to be in Googles Search Engine. What's next, people complaining that they got their blog removed from adult blog indexes and now they are losing money? Give me a break.

minusonebit · 03-18-2006, 06:25 PM

hah, this case will go nowhere. Sour grapes.

There is no right to be listed in Google. Its a private business that is free to list or not list anyone it likes. I dare say they would be within thier rights to not list websites based on the race of the site owners if they were so inclined. Would not be a good/smart business descision, but a legal one.

Webby · 03-18-2006, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrkris

That is so fucking retarded. You don't pay to be in Googles Search Engine. What's next, people complaining that they got their blog removed from adult blog indexes and now they are losing money? Give me a break.

Agree!

Who's search engine is it anyway?

Brujah · 03-18-2006, 07:37 PM

I bet they're listed in Google now

Doctor Dre · 03-18-2006, 07:48 PM

I don't see how he plans to win that, but I agree google are beeing assholes and don't investigate nuff most of the time

RawAlex · 03-18-2006, 10:22 PM

There is no reason why a company like Google would have to give a reason for not listing a domain or blacklisting it. They are a private company, and they can do as they see fit.

This is a seriously bullshit lawsuit.

Alex

FlyingIguana · 03-18-2006, 10:32 PM

you people are missing the point...

the press from this suit is 10x better than the google listing

SmokeyTheBear · 03-18-2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brujah

I bet they're listed in Google now

Results 1 - 100 of about 44,200 from kinderstart.com

fr0gman · 03-18-2006, 11:00 PM

Looks like kinderstart.com is a wannbe search engine and I am not sure that a judge will agree that they should be forcing their way into a competing search engine.

DBS.US · 03-18-2006, 11:13 PM

kinderstart.com is a wannbe search engine

03-18-2006, 06:11 PM	#1
Hollywood376 Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: middle America Posts: 1,154	Class action lawsuit against GOOGLE for blacklisted websites Read the story here Web Site Files Complaint Against Google Mar 17 6:36 PM US/Eastern By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Business Writer SAN FRANCISCO Google Inc.'s mysterious methods for ranking Web sites came under attack Friday in a lawsuit accusing the online search engine leader of ruining scores of Internet businesses that have been wrongfully banished from its index. The civil complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose by KinderStart.com, seeks to be certified as a class action representing the owners of all Web sites blacklisted by Google's Internet-leading search engine since January 2001. KinderStart, a Norwalk-based Web site devoted to information about children, says it was dropped from Google's index a year ago without warning. "The world is becoming increasingly 'Googlized,'" said Gregory Yu, a lawyer for KinderStart. "For most people, that has been a good thing, but not for everyone." A Google spokesman said the company hadn't seen the suit and had no immediate comment. KinderStart alleges Google has engaged in anticompetitive behavior and misled the public by positioning its search engine as an objective source for finding Internet content. The suit seeks unspecified financial damages and a court order that would require Google to change its ways. The case aims at Google's heart _ its tightly guarded formula for ranking Web sites. Google's system strives to elevate in search results the Web sites with content most relevant to a request. Because Google handles far more search requests than its rivals, its ranking system can make or break Web sites without a well-known domain name. With the stakes so high, Web sites assigned a low Google ranking are constantly trying to elevate their standing, and an entire cottage industry has formed surrounding search engine optimization. Some sites resort to dirty tricks, hoping the shenanigans will fool Google into highlighting their Web links. Google regularly tweaks its search formula to weed out the mischief makers _ sometimes called "Black Hats." In the worst cases, Google exiles the manipulative Web sites, a practice that has become known as being sent to "the sandbox" for the equivalent of a children's time out. KinderStart's lawsuit alleges Google's policing efforts have penalized Web sites that have done nothing wrong. To make matters worse, the suit alleges the banished sites can't determine how they can restore their standings because the company doesn't explain its actions. Mountain View-based Google has previously defended its right to revise its search formula however it sees fit. In 2003, Google persuaded a federal judge to dismiss a case filed by Oklahoma City-based Search King Inc. after its search ranking abruptly fell. Google argued its search ranking formula represented an opinion protected by the First Amendment, and U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles- LaGrange agreed. This time, KinderStart is the one making accusations of free-speech violations _ in Google's case, by reducing the traffic sent to Web sites that have been wrongfully punished. KinderStart said its traffic plunged by 70 percent after Google dropped it. At its peak, KinderStart's visitors viewed more than 10 million Web pages per month, according to the suit. Yu hopes to prove Google has become an "essential facility" that should be required to warn Web sites before dropping them from the index. "We don't really feel there is enough transparency and openness in a service that has become so important," Yu said. Google has always been tightlipped about how its search engine's works, maintaining the secrecy is essential to its success.

03-18-2006, 06:19 PM	#2
mrkris Confirmed User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 2,737	That is so fucking retarded. You don't pay to be in Googles Search Engine. What's next, people complaining that they got their blog removed from adult blog indexes and now they are losing money? Give me a break. __________________ PHP-MySQL-Rails \| ICQ: 342500546

03-18-2006, 07:37 PM	#5
Brujah Beer Money Baron Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: brujah / gmail Posts: 22,157	I bet they're listed in Google now __________________ Free Premium Domain Lists and Tools at Clickmojo.com For Sale: Obscenity.com

03-18-2006, 11:00 PM	#10
fr0gman Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,093	Looks like kinderstart.com is a wannbe search engine and I am not sure that a judge will agree that they should be forcing their way into a competing search engine. __________________ Earn up to $.03 per Visitor -> No Click Monetization! "Because the World Wide Web is all about two things: horrifyingly stupid psychodrama, and naked chicks." Wild College Videos \| ICQ: 7746696

03-18-2006, 11:13 PM	#11
DBS.US Geo Cities Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: North Captiva Island, Florida USA Posts: 11,832	kinderstart.com is a wannbe search engine __________________ Make a Free Chaturbate White Label site in 34 minutes and be making money tonight

03-18-2006, 06:25 PM	#3
minusonebit So Fucking Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: [email protected] Posts: 7,391	hah, this case will go nowhere. Sour grapes. There is no right to be listed in Google. Its a private business that is free to list or not list anyone it likes. I dare say they would be within thier rights to not list websites based on the race of the site owners if they were so inclined. Would not be a good/smart business descision, but a legal one.

03-18-2006, 10:22 PM	#7
RawAlex So Fucking Banned Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: In a house. Posts: 9,465	There is no reason why a company like Google would have to give a reason for not listing a domain or blacklisting it. They are a private company, and they can do as they see fit. This is a seriously bullshit lawsuit. Alex

03-18-2006, 10:32 PM	#8
FlyingIguana aspiring banker Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: toronto Posts: 10,870	you people are missing the point... the press from this suit is 10x better than the google listing