Google Proven To Delist Competitors From It's Ranks - Is Fined Record 2.1 Billion Euros for Violating EU Law. They Censored My Site and Me too.. Remove These Criminals From Steemit!
I have long understood that Google is highly manipulative in the way it builds it's search results listings. The results are absolutely NOT a fair listing of the state of the internet and absolutely ARE a highly controlled, filtered and censored view of the internet. In short, reliance on Google for your view of the web is like relying on a politician for your view of the truth of life in general - ill advised.
When I first launched my own social network it had another name and wasn't actually at that point technically a social network. I saw that the results it achieved in Google appeared to reflect my expectations based on what I understood Google to be doing when calculating the ranks of each page/site on the web. Once I changed the name, converted it to a social network and began posting controversial material (only controversial because it exposes the web of lies that underpins much of our education, political and corporate world) I very quickly found my site 'ureka.org' disappeared from Google completely (for years).
I could search for ureka and maybe you would see ureka.org in the results but if I searched for anything else at all that related to my site, it would be nowhere to be seen. This is not how my site performed previously and so it was clear to me that I was being blocked by Google. Not only this but I found that my comments on Youtube were being blocked by Google, so that no-one else could read them and even I was unaware this was occurring until I ran tests by trying to view my comments via the anonymous browser 'Tor' - where I found that my comments were nowhere to be seen. It was clear that someone at Google had decided that my activity online needed to be squashed. You can read more on this in a post I made to Steemit a while ago, here.
Today I learned that the EU issued a 2.1 Billion Euro fine to Google for exactly this kind of behavior and it escalated to a class action law suit. I may actually look into joining this if I can. The Daily Mail reports that Google blacklisted a competitor to their own shopping service that was run by a couple in Britain called 'Foundem'. Much like in my case, their site could not be found in any relevant searches in Google and the EU Commission has ruled that Google violated Anti-Trust laws. The fine is the largest ever handed out for this kind of violation.
In my case, this nearly meant years of my life were wasted, however, thankfully, I am now able to recover some of it through using Steemit to spread my own work and also to advertise Ureka too. It's not impossible I will see some justice yet from Google - but I won't be holding my breath!
Removing Google From Steemit
I posted a while ago about removing Google Search from Steemit not just because of their bad behavior, but also because of the privacy implications that run counter to the ethos of Steemit and many Steemians. It would be great if Steemit Inc. would reconsider their use of this criminal organisation.
Wishing you well,
Ura Soul
View My Witness Application Here
Back in the day I used to copblock and then it turned to open carry activism. I used blogger religiously to push my message and until 2011 I was listed in google searches. About mid 2012 I noticed a sharp decrease in my viewers and then suddenly by the end of the year my channel was demonitized not being family friendly. About 2014 my accounts were deactivated and when I was finally able to get them back my youtube and blogger was scrubbed.
Fuck google.
I truly can't think of a single example where their ethics have been shown to be good.
the irony and hypocrisy of Google can be summed up in their original slogan Don't Do Evil - like you I can't think of one thing that they have done which is good. They do exactly what they claimed they wouldn't - that's evil.
I saw a news story yesterday (just after I wrote my comment) talking about Googles use of AI to identify heart disease from eye exams. Many would think think this is 'good work' - but I am just reminded of secrect societies who are seen to be doing 'good works' in the public 'eye' - while all manner goes on in the shadows. I find the connecting of AI to heart and even 'eye' itself to be symbolic and disturbing.
I saw that headline but didn't read it. It disturbed me. The lower levels in that secret society probably do some good works but it's the higher level ones that concern me.
I forgot to say - I started a you tube (google) channel a few years ago. One of my first videos got 143,000 views in 4 weeks and plenty of likes and positive comments. Two years later it has 146,000 views. Google obviously suppressed it from search results and recommendations.
Page, Brin and Schmidt have stabbed humanity in the back!
Oh yes, absolutely - the real history of social networking is one of massive control hidden behind primary colour logos. I started out on Tribe.net which was pretty much totally uncontrolled - it was great and I learned a lot in a short time there. Then around the time that facebook got bit, Cisco bought tribe.net and ran it into the ground. I do not consider that to be a chance timing.
Google took away my adsense from one account years ago. Then they changed the requirements for adsense recently and I lost my ad rev on my main yt channel... They continue to up the requirements so they can make more profit and not pay youtubers who are small. It used to be just 1,000 views in a month to be considered for adsense. Then they changed it to 10,000 which eliminated a ton of people. Now its something even harder to get with their recent change...
They are going mainstream and only allowing mid sized and up channels to have ads. They are turning into gatekeepers more and more and controlling their centralized platform.
They are on their way out !
Absolutely, yes - they have always been a tool of those who intend to stay at the top of artificial hierarchies and not much more!
Any other options for advertising? Like does bing do something like that?
Google are fulfilling their longterm objectives .. indeed "don't be evil" is doublespeak in the purest sense of the word! They haven't just suddenly morphed into an internet monster that's steadily eating its way through opposition and "controversial" ideas. Their self proclamation as the arbiters of truth has always been been end game, they've just been biding their time and building their powerbase. Now they have their sights set upon A.I and it's eventual implementation into the smart grid. Indeed googles brave new world is beginning to look a litle dystopian for my liking. ;) .. I recommend startpage .. plus I think they have a new mail system starting soon. Great work as always @ura-soul
Thanks! I suggest watching the documentary 'Google and the world brain' if you haven't and can find it.. It demonstrates that Google was always about building the world's largest AI.. They really are fulfilling Ray Kurzweil's agenda of cyborgisation!
Thank you .. I haven't watched it but upon your recommendation, I will be sure to hunt it down! What a tangled Darpa laced web they weave. Thanks again @ura-soul
I totally agree with this, Google does whatever they want behind the scenes and they are basically untouchable, it doesn't matter how much they fine them. But reading this article I was just thinking if it would be possible for someone to build a search engine on top of the Steem blockchain? I mean they've done DTube, DSound, Dlive, Steepshot etc so I guess it would be possible?
Global search engines require massive processing power - we are more likely to see such a project on EOS than on Steem imo since EOS is all about processing power.
upvoted, yes why in the world should a blockchain that is supposed to be decentralized and autonomous run off off google and amazon services?
this is nuts. like a giant content trap.
google dropped its 'dont be evil' motto because it became to difficult to say without laughing, and it makes people ask the question.
i have installed noscript which lets me turn on and turn off the extra search functions when i want to. of late i've just been using duckduckgo for all the searches i need even on steemit.
we need not just to be thinking of how to stop using these tools, but how to end them.
Woah crazy, really glad to see such a substantial fine. Google definitely abuses its power, in searches and in youtube, and probably in many ways we don't all see until we hear from people who experience it. It's too bad too, their products are strong enough that people would keep using them even with more competitors, kinda dumb in my opinion
PS. Any thoughts on moving Ureka to EOS or other blockchain? Would that be easy to do/beneficial?
I am looking at starting a Smart Media token for Ureka, yes - but need more info on it before I will work on that. EOS may be another option, yes - we shall see!
Awesome! checking out the site now, it's really well done but not many people on there (thanks google.) Watching one of your vids now, are you on discord? I'm looking to make an impact in the world. I feel like everyone is talking about new tech but no one is talking about the silent spiritual revolution.
I think it's harder for people to talk spirituality with eachother because they relate it with religion. I've been brainstorming a way to create something that will positively impact people while still supporting me and my family. I have more to give than sitting at an 8-5 clicking buttons meaninglessly all day
Great, thanks! Yes, the traffic levels are clearly artificially low - they go up when I am active on social networks and down when I am not. Since I have been literally censored on FB and G+ it seems that even the small amount of traffic the site gets is too much for some.
The most powerful way to be supported is to know that you are always supported in whatever you align towards. If you align with the reality that 'life is hard' or 'life sucks' then that's what you'll experience until you learn to think differently. By always choosing whatever is most exciting in every moment (within integrity) - new doors will always be opened. :)
I keep getting this message, maybe I should start listening
I'm glad you found out what was happening and have found relevant information to back up your theory. This isn't the first, and definitely won't be the last time huge conglomerates like Google will use their power to squash out any threat they deem.
Thanks, yes - I have seen them do the same to natural news, the biggest of such sites online.. It was actually only after I publicly helped Natural News deal with the situation that my site miraculously appeared again in (some) google search results.
Yes, it's always been possible to manipulate the page ranking of a certain search query in the Google Search Engine. It's about money. SEO specialists have been selling their services for years so you can have your web page rank higher than another, if you pay.
SEO can be achieved without specialists and Google claims to work to make this fair for people. What they don't say is that they manipulate it all for their own benefit. I suggest watching the documentary 'google and the world brain' where it is shown that Google actually aren't really interested in money - they want the world's largest AI System.
Yes, I'm painfully aware of SEO, but bots that track algorithm changes are better than what is generally known. Yes it got to that point. Thank you for the reference, found it on YT and I'll check it out. Greetings!
oh great, ok - when i looked for it I had to pay to watch it. if you find it for free I'd appreciate if you'd paste the url here for others to see. :)
I found one in Russian; no good to most of our followers.
Oh ok, well that's a start!
Google is pure filth. Please build better search function. #ty
nice technology and google news post thank for shearing