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Tag: Spam Reports

  • Google’s New Stance: Personal Info in Spam Reports Unused

    Google’s New Stance: Personal Info in Spam Reports Unused

    Recently, I noticed a significant change in Google’s approach to handling spam reports. They’ve updated their stance on whether they’ll process reports containing personally identifying information, and it feels like a big shift from what was communicated just a week prior.

    On their updated spam report page, Google now clearly states that any spam report containing personally identifying information will not be processed. This revision comes after their previous announcement that such information could be passed on to the site in question.

    Here’s What’s Changed: Google has added a highlighted note on their official spam report page, emphasizing two points:

    (1) Avoid including personally identifying information in your spam reports.

    (2) If you do include such information, your submission won’t be processed.

    Google’s explanation reads:

    “Don’t include any personally identifying information in your submission. To comply with regulations, we must send the submission text to the site owner to help them understand the context of a manual action, if one is issued. Because of this, we won’t process your submission if we determine it contains personally identifying information to protect privacy. Not including such information fully ensures your information is safe and prevents your submission from being discarded.”

    Previously: Just a week ago, as we documented, Google allowed:

    • “If we issue a manual action, we send whatever you write in the submission report verbatim to the site owner to help them understand the context of the manual action.”

    This policy raised many eyebrows across the industry. Concerns were not just about being flagged for identifying competitors or spammers, but there were also legal implications. It seems Google is now aligning with regulations to avoid sharing personally identifying data.

    Why You Should Care: If you’re aiming to submit a spam report to Google, make sure it doesn’t contain any personally identifying information. Should you inadvertently include such information, rest assured that it won’t reach the reported site and the report simply won’t be processed. You can always resubmit your report without these details.

    Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

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  • Google Now Uses Spam Reports for Direct Manual Actions

    Google Now Uses Spam Reports for Direct Manual Actions

    I’ve recently come across a noteworthy update from Google, which now enhances the potential impact of our spam reports. Interestingly, these reports are no longer just documentation—they might trigger manual actions against the reported sites. In addition, whatever I write in my report could be shared verbatim with the site owner I’ve reported.

    Here’s Google’s Announcement. Google clarified in a note that they may utilize our spam report submissions to undertake manual actions against policy violations. This update makes it clear that spam reports are more critical than ever in maintaining the integrity of Google’s search results.

    The updated guidelines specify:

    “Ranking manipulation techniques that attempt to compromise the quality of Google’s search results violate our spam policies and can negatively impact a site’s ranking. Google may use your report to take manual action against violations. If we issue a manual action, we send whatever you write in the submission report verbatim to the site owner to help them understand the context of the manual action. We don’t include any other identifying information when we notify the site owner; as long as you avoid including personal information in the open text field, the report remains anonymous.”

    Spam Reports Fuel Manual Actions. It seems that Google aims to clarify their usage of spam reports. This is quite the shift from their previous communication, where spam reports didn’t directly lead to manual actions. To me, this feels like more than just a clarification—it’s a significant development in how reports are handled.

    ```json { "alt": "Google guide page on reporting spam, phishing, or malware.", "caption": "Learn how to protect online spaces from spam, phishing, and malware with Google's guide on reporting suspicious sites effectively.", "description": "This image shows a Google Search Central support page with guidelines on reporting spam, phishing, or malware. It includes sections on spammy web pages, malware, and phishing, each with a description and a 'Report' button for user action. The page highlights Google's approach to handling reports and emphasizes maintaining anonymity by avoiding personal information in submissions. Keywords: Google, spam, phishing, malware, reporting guide, online security." } ```

    Direct Transmission of Spam Report Text. Also, Google stated that the exact text I use in my spam report might be sent to the site owner. They advise us not to include personal details, as my submission remains anonymous unless I disclose such information.

    Google emphasizes the importance of keeping sensitive information out of the report to ensure my anonymity is maintained.

    Why This Matters to Us. This change could significantly alter how we approach spam reporting on Google. If you’re someone who regularly submits these reports, like I do, it’s essential to understand the new implications and modify your reporting practices accordingly.

    Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

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