Removal
of "Cache" Feature from Google Listings of Controversial Sites
Benjamin
Edelman* - Berkman Center for
Internet & Society - Harvard Law
School
[ Background
- Specific Affected Web Sites - Analysis
& Conclusions - Support This Work ]
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Abstract The author reports more than ?? web sites for which Google's "cache" feature is not available. As a group, these sites are distinguished by the provision of unlicensed commercial software, so-called "warez." Although Google's help system does not report the intentional disabling of the cache feature for these sites, [that's what seems to be happening]. |
Related Projects |
Google gets C&D. DMCA requires taking action.
These sites. Likely illegality. Cites to existing cases against them.
Google between rock and hard place. Their action represents a sort of compromise -- continuing to provide links to the sites at issue, but not mirroring the sites' content on Google's cache servers.
How this looks. Snapshot of a typical Google reference to a web site, including the cache link
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In contrast, for sites offering unlicensed software downloads, the "Cached" link is typically missing, as shown in the snapshot below:
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Prior actions by Google to exclude controversial content. Here too, Google between rock and hard place. Acted in a way that some might praise -- filtering the sites at issue only from the German and French versions of Google; allowing users in those countries to continue to use "main" google.com site; not excluding from main google.com site. But could do better: Documenting the process publicly; telling users when their search yielded results that have been intentionally omitted;
The author has located ? web sites for which ...
d.
Partial support for this project was provided by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. The author seeks additional financial support to continue this and related projects. Please contact the author with suggestions.
Last Updated: January 28, 2003 - Sign up for notification of major updates and related work.