[flagged]
This reeks of victim blaming. We should be able to go about our lives and not get scammed trying to order food from the local Thai food place.
Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
21–30 of 236 posts
Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
#22Seems to me to be perfectly legal, if not morally right. Did I miss something? Perhaps not being morally right is something to have outrage about.
It is not legal to represent yourself as being a business when you are not in fact a representative of that business.
Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
#23As expected, an excellent read: TLDR: Scammers cloned a restaurant website. Amex gave them a merchant account despite fake address and fake phone number. Google let them advertise the fake restaurant despite none of the data matching Google's knowledge box. And I just love the quote, here in context: "Doug @Rushkoff says that the ethic of today's "entrepreneur" is to #GoMeta - don't provide a product or a service, si…
I am pretty sure that doctorow how has a better imagination than to believe that "Holy shit do we live in the worst of all possible timelines." We actually live in a pretty good timeline when we complain about ordering Thai food over the internet and the worst that happens is we get our food delivered with some trouble.
Wait what? You don't seem to realize the Cyberpunk dystopia we are living in? Yes it is amazing that we can order online! But having a company that is a near monopoly search and decides what is 'true' benefits by an otiose 15% markup that steals from the local economy is not! These are two different things...
It is amazing that I can watch videos on youtube for free but it is not awesome that they freely present alcohol ads to alcoholics and it is near impossible to get rid of them unless you are savvy enough to block them and/or pay for youtube premium. It is not okay to have predatory get-rich-quick-schemes categorized in the ads for creators that they can opt out of. It is nice that creators have that option not to advertise something that is designed pray upon vulnerable people, but what the fuck.... if youtube categorize the ads then they should be able to say no to them wholesale and not benefit from that. There are videos get-rich-quick-schemes uploaded that you need to search for that is another ballgame, it is easier to report them and having them removed because they are not giving them money.
Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
#24[flagged]
Doctorow is blaming Google here - and they are selling the unconstrained advertising service.
Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
#25In this instance isn't Google guilty of fraud? They put on their website something that defrauds, it being called "search" makes no difference IMHO. Isn't there in the US a small claims court for the restaurant to seek takedown and compensation for damages?
It will likely be harder than you think to find them. KYC is a joke, a regulatory checkbox that must be ticked to not get in trouble with federal authorities.
Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am pretty sure that doctorow how has a better imagination than to believe that "Holy shit do we live in the worst of all possible timelines." We actually live in a pretty good timeline when we complain about ordering Thai food over the internet and the worst that happens is we get our food delivered with some trouble.
Wait what? You don't seem to realize the Cyberpunk dystopia we are living in? Yes it is amazing that we can order online! But having a company that is a near monopoly search and decides what is 'true' benefits by an otiose 15% markup that steals from the local economy is not! These are two different things... It is amazing that I can watch videos on youtube for free but it is not awesome that they freely present alco…
[deleted]
Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
#27[flagged]
This reeks of victim blaming. We should be able to go about our lives and not get scammed trying to order food from the local Thai food place.
Yes agree with that which is exactly what the second half of my post is about. Google should not be advertising competitors when you directly search for someone. If you search for Thai restaurant then yes. But not for a specific business. And only legitimate verified businesses which are not fronts for this behaviour.
But really, is the famous Doctorow not using an ad blocker in 2023?
Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
#28Seems to me to be perfectly legal, if not morally right. Did I miss something? Perhaps not being morally right is something to have outrage about.
I'm pretty sure the scammers are engaging in trademark infringement.
Can the restaurant ask Google to take down the ad based on trademark infringement?
Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
#29I really must get a good bookmark manager going again.
Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result
#30In this instance isn't Google guilty of fraud? They put on their website something that defrauds, it being called "search" makes no difference IMHO. Isn't there in the US a small claims court for the restaurant to seek takedown and compensation for damages?
No, the person creating the fake ad is guilty of fraud. Google is guilty of not verifying it enough.
Same as Apple/Google aren't guilty of creating malware apps then it slips through, but the predatory ass who coded the app and published it is. Same as Walmart isn't guilty of poisoning people when they stock a product that's spoiled in production, but merely failing to verify proper credentials set up by regulators.
I don't know why so many people here and elsewere refuse to hold people creating predatory/fradulent companies accountable , but instead demand that megacorporations control access to your products instead. Which they repeatedly fail and and exploit to enrich themselves at your expense.