Reporter: Google successfully pressured me to take down critical story

The recent furor over a Google-funded think tank firing an anti-Google scholar has inspired Gizmodo journalist Kashmir Hill to tell a story about the time Google used its power to squash a story that was embarrassing to the company.

The incident occurred in 2011. Hill was a cub reporter at Forbes, where she covered technology and privacy. At the time, Google was actively promoting Google Plus and was sending representatives to media organizations to encourage them to add "+1" buttons to their sites.

Hill was pulled into one of these meetings, where the Google representative suggested that Forbes would be penalized in Google search results if it didn't add +1 buttons to the site. Hill thought that seemed like a big story, so she contacted Google's PR shop for confirmation. Google essentially confirmed the story, and so Hill ran with it under the headline: "Stick Google Plus Buttons On Your Pages, Or Your Search Traffic Suffers."

Reporter: Google successfully pressured me to take down critical story

So, Google (in 2011) was threatening to sabotage the search results if companies didn't place a Google+ button on their sites? Sure sounds like a case of a RICO law violation to me. But what did Google do about the news going public you may ask?

Google never challenged the accuracy of the reporting. Instead, a Google spokesperson told me that I needed to unpublish the story because the meeting had been confidential, and the information discussed there had been subject to a non-disclosure agreement between Google and Forbes. (I had signed no such agreement, hadn’t been told the meeting was confidential, and had identified myself as a journalist.)

It escalated quickly from there. I was told by my higher-ups at Forbes that Google representatives called them saying that the article was problematic and had to come down. The implication was that it might have consequences for Forbes, a troubling possibility given how much traffic came through Google searches and Google News.

So, this young reporter was "asked" to take down the story by her employer, Forbes. How interesting. If they were doing that in 2011, what other search manipulations are we not privy to yet?

For those ATS members that resort to the "Google is your friend" comments when someone is unaware of something, I say, no, Google results are skewed and may not be 100% reliable. This is proof of that.

a reply to: Krakatoa

With the way things are going, it won't be long before the US becomes a full blown totalitarian state.

Already they have secret prisons in US soil.

a reply to: Krakatoa

No kidding. Maybe it is because GOOGLE is a business that can choose which business it promotes and which ones it doesn't. If you didn't like that you would go design yourself a more powerful search engine and do whatever your want.

GOOGLE is my friend and I only want to be friends with their friends. Is that a problem?

Todays grandest robberbarrons strile again.

Tucker Carlson called for Google to be regulated like a public utility. Issues presented such as the OP is probably going to have more rallying around that.

originally posted by: dreamingawake
Tucker Carlson called for Google to be regulated like a public utility. Issues presented such as the OP is probably going to have more rallying around that.

So, work hard. Be an entrepreneur and maybe one day if your successful enough the government will take over your business and regulate it.

Makes sense. We already saw what happens when you work hard, make yourself a household name and become president...

Are we supposed to just forget what made America great or was I on vacation when I was supposed to reeducated?

a reply to: MALBOSIA


"Regulation" is your friend?

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: MALBOSIA


"Regulation" is your friend?

The province I live in just elected an NPD government. Pro union, anti energy, basically a bunch of hipster control freaks that think everything is unfare. Don't get me started lol.

ETA:

K, I'm slow tonight. I think I see what you meant. Did you mean that GOOGLE is regulating? If so, your right?

I love cars. I love to read about cars. I know full well that that depending on the source of the article is going to be biased somehow. Its how the business works. Its the same with anything.

GOOGLE just became such a monumental part of everyday day life. It was a college start up (save the CT's) and now look!

If the US tries to regulate it, I'm sure they will just move somewhere unregulated which is no good. Isn't that why they have Delaware?

Google is actively seeking monopolisation on numerous industries. Information is one of them.

They are probably the most dangerous corporation active today.

a reply to: MALBOSIA


Spindletop Mining and Bell were attacked by politicians long before Trump was elected on a slogan...

a reply to: MALBOSIA

No kidding. Maybe it is because GOOGLE is a business that can choose which business it promotes and which ones it doesn't. If you didn't like that you would go design yourself a more powerful search engine and do whatever your want.

There are quiet a few out there already.

GOOGLE is my friend and I only want to be friends with their friends. Is that a problem?

Not for the sheep it isn't.

WCKD... I mean... Google, is good.

a reply to: carewemust

There should be regulations against hyper conglomeration and the like. Too bed whwn regulations come they always play into conglomerate ibterests which are to hinder little guys from ever up and coming.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
Todays grandest robberbarrons strile again.

Censorship thrives in this Age Of Snowden and Assange.

a reply to: starwarsisreal

Do they have a presidential suite?

Yeah, I hate Google and YouTube but they monopolized the market. Google was great before the clowns that bought it got to play their retard games. I use Swisscow now for most my searches.