Sunday, February 1, 2009

Google suggests I might be looking for a replica gun and tries to help me



I searched Google for the word replica and it tried to help me by suggesting to see results for replica guns. :O

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=replica&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Curious me, I quickly went to Google Adwords Policies page, which prohibits advertisers from advertising for replica and counterfeit goods in following words

"Counterfeit Designer Goods

Don't advertise counterfeit designer goods. Advertising is not permitted for products that are replicas or imitations of designer goods. A replica good contains the trademarked name or logo of a designer brand but is not made by that brand."

It also prohibits advertising for weapons in its Adwords policy.

So you cannot advertise replica products or guns, rightly so. But it is alright for Google to suggest replica guns in its search results???? (see it in screenshot marked with bottom left rectangle.) Another search conducted on Google.com for replica had it suggesting me 'replica watches'

How can Google promote something it prohibits?

It was a human error that almost the entire world wide web was "malware" just yesterday. This looks more like a machine error.

Have you noticed any wierd "see results for:" sections on your search results that are non-appropriate or violation its own policy guidelines?

Update : I got automated reply from adwords team about my reporting to them.

PS: It also allows advertiser to sell $48 replica rolex watch(see the screenshot with marked rectangle on the right. One possible reason the advertiser got away with is because advert uses the word Replice instead of Replica. Good enough to tricks the bots, but I thought adverts were screened by real humans. Doesn't seem so.

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