How does Google, the world’s biggest internet company, decide what stays online and what gets taken down? Why, just look at their terms of service of course.

25th July 2012

Merely typing the word ‘scam’ into Google will give you no less than 218,000,000 results. Now, the normal internet user will most likely believe that 50-60% of these are bonafide, with the other 40% being disregarded as nonsensical rubbish.

However, when an honest company gets labelled with the term ‘scam’ on Google, this will be seen by millions of internet users searching the word ‘scam’ within a mere one fifth of a second from the moment of that user typing in that search term into the Google search engine. The consequences of this would be immediate and could be disastrous and destructive for any business. But how does Google decide what should actually stay online and what is rubbish?

Google recently released their transparency report for 2011, detailing how many times they were asked to remove something from the internet. In the UK there were 1,455 requests: Google complied with 931 of them, from July – December 2011. It is interesting to note that Google did not comply with all of the requests that had been made, and this is because there is a specific criterion that Google’s team of analysts have to apply and satisfy, before they will even take a complaint about offensive material seriously.

Google tells us that the biggest issue it takes into account is that of narrowness; is the issue narrow enough for them to be able to actually help with? Whilst this may sound an easy enough hurdle to cross, in many cases the issue is so wide and so complex that it cannot be narrowed down. In these cases, Google does not help (ask the 524 users making removal requests that Google rejected). A specific example of this would be a website alleging a director had committed fraud in his role in a company. If the offending material has spread onto numerous websites, with many comments giving the matter apparent credibility and even adding in more defamatory allegations.In this instance, Google are likely to take the opinion that the matter is not narrow enough for them to help with, and so will duly reject a removal request.

There is no doubt that Google may be trying to deal with these requests responsibly, and we at Pinder Reaux have spent many years building up our relationship of trust with Google, through written requests and Court proceedings. In fact, we could probably recite the Google terms of service from memory. Being able to inform Google that specific content breaches their terms of service is really, I believe, how they decide what stays online. After all, Google are there to protect themselves, hence why they have the terms of service in the first place.

If you are able to properly articulate to Google why the offensive online material breaches their terms of service, with valid reference to local and international applicable law, then you have the best chance of having the offending content removed.

Luckily we at Pinder Reaux are able to articulate this in a way that Google appreciates and generally complies with. Google is just one internet company that we have such a relationship with, there are many others and if a web site contains offensive material then it is most likely we can help you in having it removed. Please feel free to give us a call on 0208-252-7373 and we will be happy to assist you.

John Spyrou

Associate Solicitor

Internet Law

Pinder Reaux and Associates

Business Services News


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Alex Bailey, Trichromic LLP'

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"One step ahead of the opposition"

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Trading Point of Financial Instruments UK Ltd

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"John Spyrou kindly offered to provide our publishing firm with an update on libel and defamation law.

The presentation he delivered was both interesting and informative, and he brought real credibility to the subject with his detailed knowledge and examples from real life cases.

Those who attended - a mix of veteran editors and those new to the world of journalism - all said how practical and useful they found the training – and now can’t wait for another session!"

Paul Snell, Redactive Media Group

"I would recomend this service to anyone who has a legal matter"

"I'm so glad I had this advice before my CMD. I was very much prepared and think my company (whom I'm taking to a tribunal) were shocked at my knowledge. I would recommend this service to anyone who has a legal matter."

Jacqueline Stevenson

"I could not have chosen a better firm to represent me."

"You provided the key essentials (and more) for client satisfaction. I am extremely pleased with the services provided by your company and the legal team provided for me. To also turnaround my situation making it a positive outcome, I could not have chosen a better firm to represent me."

Marvyn Smith

"Great Source of Support"

"You have essentially achieved what we had set out to do. Thank you for all of your assistance in this matter. Throughout this ordeal, you have been a great source of support."

Mary Anne Poutanen

"We shall, no doubt, be engaging you again soon"

"The matter was concluded very successfully and I’d like to thank John and Wilson again for their helpful and highly professional work earlier this year."

Alex Bailey

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"Fast and reliable notary service for notarisation/legalisation of College reports for foreign office and embassies."

Student Services Department

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"May I take this opportunity to give you and your firm a big thanks for the services I received through Mr John Spyrou, which is above all our expectations."

Halim Salama

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"Many thanks for your enormous help in settling this unpleasant matter. As a father of 4 young children at a private school in South London I was horrified to learn that another parent (a mother) at the school had made highly-insulting and defamatory comments about me and my children on Facebook, all due to what my 6-year old daughter had said at school to her 9-year old son. Whilst my little daughter should not have called him names, for which she was reprimanded and also she apologised, the mother's "Facebook attack" on me personally and also on my 4 little children was abhorrent and totally out of proportion, and was posted for her 300 "Facebook friends" to see which included a significant number of other parents at the school. Pinder Reaux were able to give me excellent legal advice such that, whilst the matter did not need to go to court, it helped me to a satisfactory outcome which involved a full apology by the other parent on Facebook and also an emailed apology to me copied to numerous parents at the school.

Thanks you once again,"

Rob

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I have a sore head today, I was so happy with yesterday’s result, I celebrated with my friends.

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Top team there!

My very best wishes from a very happy customer!"

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Barbara Anne

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R.A.S

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Suresh Shan

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Nicola Grace

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Martin

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Regards,"

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I was extremely worried that in a divorce case money would just be swallowed but it was strategically spent as promised in a worthwhile to the point way with no wastage.

I have achieved exactly the result that I wished for thanks to you all. I personally highly recommend your firm.

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Debbie Springham

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Dr Krys Williams

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"I have just received a package by courier and just wanted to say thank you very much for the chocolates – a nice surprise and very much appreciated.
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My sincere thanks for your patience and support through my divorce which as it turned out to be a very very good start to a very happy year.

Many thanks again – wishing you all the very best. With thanks,"

Tara

"When I felt like I was pulling my hair out, you always made me realise we could sort it out!"

"I really do appreciate everything you did throughout the process with the divorce. Everything I said below is true, you really do make each client feel like they are the only client on your books.
It was a long battle and when I felt like I was pulling my hair out, you always made me realise we could sort it out! You have been professional, helpful and understanding at all times.

Thanks once again and I would definitely use you again in the future for any legal requirements I had.

I will recommend your firm to friends and family in the future as a company who makes each client feel like they are the only client."

Jane Phillips, PA to Tony Wright

"I am very pleased"

"You explained my options to me at what was a very difficult time for me and you put me at great ease.
I am very pleased to thank you and hope that you long continue your good work as solicitors.

Thank you again and best wishes."

Mrs L Williams

"I would recommend your company to all right minded people who are new to divorce and are maybe thus scared or unsure."

"I found the solicitor I spoke to excellent because she listened FIRST!!.
She appeared to have time for me which i was not expecting from a solicitor…. Her advice was great and she did not scare me into any action which invloved giving money to her firm.

She came across as pro marriage with a divorce as a last resort which I believe is the right approach. She was very professional and friendly.

I would recommend your company to all right minded people who are new the divorce and are maybe thus scared or unsure.

Many many thanks"

"It really has been great to deal with Pinder Reaux"

"Thank you Jason and Rupinder so much for your time and knowledge on this case, it really has been great to deal with Pinder Reaux and we would not hesitate to contact you in the future, should we ever require your services again – business or personal."

Sam & Eddie

"Just few words to express how much grateful I feel."

"Mr Spyrou and his team have been to me all (and more) you would expect from an ideal solicitor: understanding, professional, supportive and, above all, incredibly efficient.

I really felt in good hands right from the first meeting we had.

Indeed, outstanding service that I would not hesitate to recommend to anybody in the need of winning lawyers on their side.

I will be forever indebted.

Thank you again."

Dr. G. Bozzetti

"It really has been great to deal with Pinder Reaux"

"Thanks to all at Pinder Reaux, in particular John Spyrou, who really explained the issues, and simplified them to show me that there really was a way out. Their clear understanding paved the way for my matter to be satisfied to my satisfaction."

John Swann

"Concluded with judgement in our favour!"

"The Board is grateful to Pinder Reaux for representing us, in an unusual but successful action for Passing Off. It was a long drawn out affair but concluded with judgement in our favour. Throughout we were sustained by the competent advice and energy of our solicitor John Spyrou and we are most grateful to him and the firm."

"John gave us hope during a very stressful time."

"From the moment John picked up our case he gave us hope during a very stressful time. Over a period of three months, John worked with us every step of the way providing reassurance, empathy, drive and energy to our case. John and his team, in particular, Olivia, not only successfully delivered for us but treated us with kindness and became like friends to us. We could not recommend them highly enough. Thank you so much for everything."

Angela Kimberley (Business and Human Resources Specialist)

"Pinder Reaux took away the stress"

"We became involved with Pinder Reaux when we needed help in seeking to exit from our timeshare contract.  We had a large maintenance bill outstanding which we were struggling to pay. 


We were obviously very nervous and apprehensive in our initial dealings with Pinder Reaux but we soon came to realise that we were dealing with a very genuine firm and found the whole team very approachable, especially John Spyrou.


We are happy to say, with the firm’s expertise, we are now out of our timeshare contract, paying a tiny fraction of what we allegedly owed.  It is such a relief for us to be finally free of worry about this and we thank Pinder Reaux for helping us to achieve these aims. "

Mr and Mrs H.

"Their experience and guidance helped us to our successful outcome"

"Following the successful conclusion of our case against a large financial organisation, we would like to thank the staff of Pinder Reaux for their efforts during this process.

Special mention must be made of Lucy Harvard, who kept the whole procedure moving forward over a considerable period of time, and James Harris whose perseverance and technical knowledge were a large part of our successful result. Our dealings with both were handled in a totally professional and friendly manner making the whole process relativelypain free to us.

We would also like to thank John Spyrou for his oversight in our case. Again his experience and guidance helped us to our successful outcome.We would not hesitate to recommend Pinder Reaux based upon our experiences.

Thank you"

A & B Heslop