Google Shopping Site Blocks Results of Gun-Related Searches
Along with its main search engine, Google Inc. operates the Google Shopping web portal (www.google.com/shopping), where visitors can search for products offered by tens of thousands of online merchants. Google Shopping works great, unless you happen to be looking for gun stuff. You see, Google recently instituted a new policy blocking Google Shopping search results for many firearms-related products and accessories.
For example, searches for “ammunition”, “.308″, and “rifle” yield no results. This subject-matter-based filtering also stymies searches for prominent gun-makers, component suppliers, and gun accessory vendors. Google Shopping searches for “Beretta”, “Brownells”, “Glock”, “Nosler”, and “Winchester” all yielded this “fail” message: “Your search [term here] did not match any shopping results”. Google Shopping is even blocking results for “Leupold” — yet Leupold only makes optics. Whether you call this “filtering” or “black-balling”, the fact remains that Google Shopping is making judgments about what products (and vendors) shoppers will be allowed to view.
IMPORTANT: The firearm-related filtering ONLY is in place (for now) on the Google Shopping portal. The main Google search engine (www.google.com) still allows you to search for any keyword or search phrase. That means you can search for “rifle”, or “Glock”, or “Winchester” on the main Google search engine and you WILL get results.
Google Shopping Site Search Term Test
We did a quick sample of search terms on the Google Shopping site, testing a few dozen common terms for guns and firearms accessories. There were some surprising results, and many logical inconsistencies. “Rifle Shooting” was blocked, but “Shooting” returned results. “Reload” was blocked, but “Reloading” was allowed. Some filtering seems arbitrary. “Winchester” was blocked, but “Remington” worked. “Hornady” is blocked, but “RCBS” can be used. “Brownells” was blocked, but “Sinclair International” yielded results. “Nosler” is blocked, but “Sierra” was allowed. “Leupold” and “Weaver” are both blocked, but “Bushnell” and “Zeiss” are unrestricted. And spelling makes a difference. “Anschütz” is blocked, but “Anschutz” can be used. “Hollow Point” is blocked, yet “Hollowpoint” (as one word) is OK. You figure that out….
It’s hard to guess which search terms will work and which won’t, except you can be sure that most keyword phrases which include the terms “ammo”, “rifle”, or “firearm” will be censored. Likewise, most search terms based on cartridge types (Rimfire, 45 ACP etc.) or bullet diameters (5.56, 30 Caliber, 7mm etc.) are blocked. But you can still search for “gun”, oddly enough. And this editor can’t fathom why I can search for Bushnell, Zeiss, Swarovski, and Nikon, but not “Leupold”.
Sample Search Terms Blocked (No Results Returned)
5.56, .308, 30 Caliber, 7mm, 9mm, 1911, Ammo, Ammo Can, Ammunition, Anschütz, AR15, Barrel, Black Powder, Beretta, Brownells, Browning, Creedmoor, Firearm, Glock, Gunstock, Hollow Point, Hornady, Leupold, Magazine, Muzzle, Muzzleloader, Optics, Pistol, Reload, Rifle, Rifle Scope, Rimfire, Rifle Stock, Savage, Sig-Sauer, Shooting, Weaver, Winchester.
Sample Search Terms Allowed (Results Returned)
Airgun, Anschutz, Ballistics, Barrel, Benchrest, Bullet, Bushnell, Cartridge Brass, Gun, Gunpowder, Hollowpoint, Hunter, Hunting, Marksman, Press, Rangefinder, RCBS, Reloading, Remington, Scope, Shooter, Shooting, Shooting target, Sierra, Sinclair International, Spotting Scope, Stock, Target, Trigger, Zeiss.
IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that this was NOT an exhaustive test of search terms, and Google could change or alter its “block list” at any time.
To explain its content-filtering system, Google Shopping recently sent an email to vendors around the country. As received by Hamlund Tactical and then posted on the web, that email declared:
|
Dear Merchant, We’re writing to let you know about some upcoming changes to the product listings you submit to Google. As we recently announced, we are starting to transition our shopping experience to a commercial model that builds on Product Listing Ads. This new shopping experience is called Google Shopping. As part of this transition, we’ll begin to enforce a set of new policies for Google Shopping in the coming weeks. A new list of the allowed, restricted, and prohibited products on Google Shopping is available on our new policy page: http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/ApI7UWRj6OCZpd. Based on a review of the products you’re currently submitting, it appears that some of the content in your Merchant Center account, [Vendor Name], will be affected by these policy changes. In particular we found that your products may violate the following policies: Weapons To help you through this new set of policies and how to comply with them, we would like to give you some specific suggestions regarding the changes needed to keep your offers running on Google Shopping. Weapons |
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Tags: Censorship, Content Filtering, Google, Search Engine
yahoo shopping has the same policy..
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/tos/site-guidelines
I guess I’ll be taking my business to BING. They don’t seem to be filtering gun stuff yet.
As this is an American based run and registered company is this against some sort of constitution? Freedom of expression, right to bear arms ect. If you restricted there purchase you restrict the right to own them.
It’s always good to see the land of three and home of the brave is neither.
I thought we had it bad in the UK.
This kind of thing really pisses me off, especially since Google was so much against SOPA/PIPA. I honestly hope that this doesn’t become an Ebay, Paypal, BoA thing, if so I am done, I’ll get rid of chrome, G+, use Bing as Justin said. I posted this on my G+ page and I seriously hope one of the google people read it or such.
This is something that I just heard of today. Unreal are the attacks on American gun culture.
I heard monies gained from many email and search engine providers are funneled direct to the left agenda’s war chest.
Sickening.
We need a dedicated host, where monies can be directed to freedom constitutional loving organizations.
We need to turn this ship around!
EDITOR: As the article states, multiple times, the search blocking takes place ONLY through the Google Shopping portal, NOT the main google search engine site. If you are getting full domain names as search results (rather than product thumbnails), as you state below, I’m pretty sure you are searching through the main search engine, NOT the Shopping Portal.
If you simply do a conventional Google search (from google.com home page or using the default search line in your browser), you will not notice the blocking. You also have to use the search line INSIDE Google Shopping portal, not at the top of the browser. We have also learned that the blocking may not work (yet) on mobile platforms.
RR2030 asks: I just searched all the stuff stated that was agitatedly blocked and the search returned had nothing blocked.
hits from Google search:
http://www.anschuetz-sport.com/
http://www.brownells.com/
etc
am I searching incorrectly? why is this stuff getting through if its blocked?
EDITOR:
First, the blocking may not be activated in your corner of the globe, which draws results from different Google servers. It is definitely happening in North America.
Second, nearly all the people who’ve told us they see no blocking, have been searching from the main Google search engine. As the article explains, this search result blocking only operates when you start at http://www.google.com/shopping, and then use the search field inside that shopping portal. There is also evidence that the blocking has not yet been activated for some mobile platforms.
Jason from New Zealand says: Hi, I also tried searching for firearms related items and found AR15’s, 5.56 ammo, combat knives etc.
Doesn’t appear to be filtering to me.
Interesting.
When I am looking for Mcmillan stock on ebay.com , I have hardly anything showing or maybe one or two stocks if I use my computer. When I look with my mobile I have a choice of a dozen stocks. That is my New Zealand experience.
Now, for people living in the UK, they have ebay.co.uk, and it is prohibited for them to bid on any knife…But that does not reduce the number of stabbings in that country…
Imagine the kind of freedom you would have in China with your computer… Are we heading that way???
Yip, using the shopping portal and it is bring up the stores with the options to compare prices.
It is possible that it won’t be blocked on mobile android devices that are using operating systems below Ice Cream Sandwhich, as these operating systems do not support Google Chrome as the browser. I am running 2.2 Froyo still on my android and my Google Shopper works like it normally did.
I can imagine though since they can’t stop it on older androids they can stop it on their end which will essentially close the valve to every android device.
I’m a small business firearms dealer. The new policy will force those searching for firearms websites to be a bit more creative. the big box stores like Cabela’s have always advertised using Google Ad-words but they never use keywords like gun or firearm in their ads. They use words like Outdoor Recreation, Camo Vests, etc. Most everyone searching for firearms and ammo already know Cabela’s sells both firearms and ammo. Searching keywords related to outdoors, sporting goods, tents, sleeping bags, hiking poles and maybe even hunting(if still allowed) get you close. Then you must dig a bit deeper. Put 2 + 2 together. If they sell outdoor gear there is a very good chance they also sell hunting gear, shooting supplies, firearms, AK’s AR’s, ammo and knives. Google also banned knives. This will not effect organic searches for firearms dealers you already know. It is even more important now to learn to use bookmarks so you can get back to a goos site the does sell guns once you find one.
Alternatively, there are new sites popping up like Tappocity.com that don’t ban firearms from their listings. These are the types of websites you want to bookmark instead of just blind searches anyway.
As I previously stated I am having no problem searching for guns, ammo, rifle, Winchester, Remington, assault rifle, or weapon on Google shopping. I previously posted this and for some reason I no longer see my post. How am I searching these words successfully on Google shopping while others claim they can not?
Editor: You could be getting results because of the operating system you are using, because of your location, perhaps even because of your cookie permissions or security settings. Or you may be using a different search entry line in your browser. Mobile users seem to be able to get results for now. But trust us, the blocking is really happening — as the folks at Brownells, Creedmoor Sports, and Nosler have confirmed.
Here is a screen shot of a search for “Winchester” done from google.com/shopping minutes ago. Null results for Winchester:
http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/winchsearchfail.gif
While this IS ludicrous,,,
Did someone from the UK REALLY say
” I thought we had it bad here”?
Go to the shop and pick out an assault rifle,, Can you? Go to a yard sale and take home a rifle,,, Can you? Can you guys even have a large knife?
Hmm. “dildo”, “blow up doll” and [common word for oral sex] are all acceptable to the google gods.
As is “anarchist cookbook”, “bomb making”, “jihad”, and “detonators”
Glad to see they have their priorities straight. I supposed I was just flagged somehow for actually doing those searches.
All searches I tried failed. I clicked on the “Give us Feedback” link and complained that there were no results for firearms related searches. Probably won’t help, but it can’t hurt.
This is probably a stupid lawyer policy…
ixquick.com
No tracking your searches.
I stopped using Google a long time ago and still find everything I look for using Ixquick.
Reagan.com. Can get an email address that won’t be scaned. Search engine soon I hear. Guessing they won’t block gun sites.