FTC to search engines: Disclose paid links

Zardon · Jun 29, 2002, 10:36 PM

Internet search engines that take money from Web sites in exchange for prominent placement should make that practice clearer to Web users, federal regulators said Friday.

Many search engine Web sites, including AltaVista, LookSmart and AOL Search, give preferred placement to paid advertisers. The Federal Trade Commission said that prime space can confuse Web users who are looking for the best response to their search, rather than ads for sites that paid up front.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/interne....ap/index.html

Desert_Siege · Jun 30, 2002, 07:23 PM

That is good to know. Guess thats why searches on some engines always come up with the first few results that don't really match what your looking for.

digitalwanderer · Jun 30, 2002, 07:54 PM

Aside from being the best & my personal favorite search engine ever created, Google has got to be the flat-out coolest search engine out there...all the way down to their corporate policies. They have always let the searcher know when the links they provide are sponsored links as opposed to genuine search results.

I didn't start using them cause of that, but it is another good reason to hang with them.

"Google-google-google-google"
[SIZE=x-small]Done in my best "Tweaky" voice (The robot from the TV series "Buck Rodgers" that always used to go "Bedee-bedee-bedee-bedee" whilst waggling it's head.)[/SIZE]

Desert_Siege · Jun 30, 2002, 08:17 PM

Got tired of completely irrelevant topics during my searches and installed the google toolbar. I like it alot and that Translate feature works pretty well when you happen to go to foreign language web pages.

Jun 29, 2002, 10:36 PM	#1
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	FTC to search engines: Disclose paid links Internet search engines that take money from Web sites in exchange for prominent placement should make that practice clearer to Web users, federal regulators said Friday. Many search engine Web sites, including AltaVista, LookSmart and AOL Search, give preferred placement to paid advertisers. The Federal Trade Commission said that prime space can confuse Web users who are looking for the best response to their search, rather than ads for sites that paid up front. http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/interne....ap/index.html

Jun 30, 2002, 07:23 PM	#2
Desert_Siege Professional Slacker Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: KY Posts: 274 Rep Power: 0	Its about damn time!! That is good to know. Guess thats why searches on some engines always come up with the first few results that don't really match what your looking for.

Jun 30, 2002, 07:54 PM	#3
digitalwanderer Colour Commentator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Highland, IN USA Posts: 5,619 Rep Power: 0	Google always does, probably always will. Aside from being the best & my personal favorite search engine ever created, Google has got to be the flat-out coolest search engine out there...all the way down to their corporate policies. They have always let the searcher know when the links they provide are sponsored links as opposed to genuine search results. I didn't start using them cause of that, but it is another good reason to hang with them. "Google-google-google-google" [SIZE=x-small]Done in my best "Tweaky" voice (The robot from the TV series "Buck Rodgers" that always used to go "Bedee-bedee-bedee-bedee" whilst waggling it's head.)[/SIZE] __________________ WTF is up with the sigs?

Jun 30, 2002, 08:17 PM	#4
Desert_Siege Professional Slacker Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: KY Posts: 274 Rep Power: 0	I have used Google for a while too.... Got tired of completely irrelevant topics during my searches and installed the google toolbar. I like it alot and that Translate feature works pretty well when you happen to go to foreign language web pages.