Google Removes ‘Pirate’ URLs from Users’ Privately Saved Links

Man, they really want you to use Firefox

I can't imagine depending on Google to store anything. They shouldn't be able to even see what links you save.

D I T C H

C H R O M E

This feels like a corporation complying with their obligations under the DMCA.

To maintain their safe harbor status, companies have to remove allegedly infringing content in response to a properly filed takedown notice. This does include links stored in google's search results. This is what a company like google has to do when storing user data on servers in any country that signed the WIPO Copyright Treaty.

They don't seem to be doing this in a malicious way. They have done their duty and removed the offending links from their service. But they quite kindly chose to notify the user by email, including the exact URL that was removed. The user can store that link elsewhere.

It would have been far easier to remove the link silently.

And yet, I can still google torrent sites

Don't rely on online service to save your stuff.

Edit: how can i exclude < and > from being interpreted?

What excuse are they using if it turns out that the takedown request was false?

Would they undelete the private user's lists?

Would they reimburse anybody for the damage?

Maybe it will make people see Google for what they are. So many are stuck in some kind of illusion.

Honestly, the only useful Google service these days is gmail. And that’s only because I don’t want to deal with changing providers after 15 years.

I don't use this (Google Saved?) and I'm unfamiliar with it, is it similar to Pocket?

Is it this: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9217379

It's wierd. 4 Days ago I got an email saying they removed a link from my saved websites. Only the link, in the email, was of a reddit post from 8 years ago on how to plug in speakers into a Motherboard I used to have??? How is that piracy? Its on the buildapc subreddit.

I think the word private in "privately saved" should be in quotes, clearly.

Remember kids - firefox was built off the netscape navigator kernel. A download for FF is a vote for the right side of antitrust history (and therefore future)

it also removed all of my saved places from google maps. thanks i like it

Oh boy, I'm feeling ultra smug now. Been using a Keepass database synced via Syncthing for about 3 years now

Lucky I know the URL to pirate bay

kinda makes sense. it's like if a youtube video or soundcloud track gets DCMA'd then they're going to remove the link.

if it was you actual browser bookmark i would understand the outrage.

im still on FF tho

Assholes.

ITT: nobody actually reading the article

Initially, it was suggested that this removal impacted Google’s synched Chrome bookmarks but further research reveals that’s not the case. Instead, the removals apply to Google’s saved feature.

This Google service allows users to save and organize links, similar to what Pinterest does. These link collections can be private or shared with third parties.

I'm gonna give Mullvad a shot, sick of Google's shit.

https://mullvad.net/en/browser