Author: Staff (Page 25 of 29)

At some point, Google’s heavy-handed tactics with long-time users is going to really hurt them. Here’s another example of Google’s ruthless and unfair approach to alleged problems.

In what critics are calling “musicblogocide 2010,” Google has deleted at least six popular music blogs that it claims violated copyright law. These sites, hosted by Google’s Blogger and Blogspot services, received notices only after their sites – and years of archives – were wiped from the internet.

“We’d like to inform you that we’ve received another complaint regarding your blog,” begins the cheerful letter received by each of the owners of Pop Tarts, Masala, I Rock Cleveland, To Die By Your Side, It’s a Rap and Living Ears. All of these are music blogs – sites that write about music and post MP3s of what they are discussing. “Upon review of your account, we’ve noted that your blog has repeatedly violated Blogger’s Terms of Service … [and] we’ve been forced to remove your blog. Thank you for your understanding.”

Jolly as Google may be, none of the bloggers who received these notices are “understanding” in the least. Although such sites once operated on the internet’s fringes, almost exclusively posting songs without permission, many blogs are now wined, dined and even paid (via advertising) by record labels. After the success of blog-buzzy acts such as Arcade Fire, Lily Allen and Vampire Weekend, entire PR firms are dedicated to courting armchair DJs and amateur critics.

Google has used a similar ruthless approach in connection with users who allegedly violate Adsense rules. They kill your account without warning, and then you have to prove you did nothing wrong.

Google is incredibly successful, so perhaps this won’t hurt them much. But the perception that Google treats its users like shit is gaining ground, and they deserve to pay a price for this behavior.