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Google has censored the term "Kodi" from its search engine's autocomplete feature, despite it being completely legal open source software:
Google has banned the term "Kodi" from the autocomplete feature of its search engine. This means that the popular software and related suggestions won't appear unless users type out the full term. Google has previously taken similar measures against "pirate" related terms and confirms that Kodi is targeted because it's "closely associated with copyright infringement."
[...] The company demotes results from domain names for which it receives many DMCA takedown notices, for example, and it has also removed several piracy-related terms from its autocomplete feature. The latter means that when one types "pirate ba" it won't suggest pirate bay. Instead, people see "pirate bays" or "pirate books" as suggestions. Whether that's very effective is up for debate, but it's intentional.
[...] The Kodi team, operated by the XBMC Foundation, is disappointed with the decision and points out that their software does not cross any lines. "We are surprised and disappointed to discover Kodi has been removed from autocomplete, as Kodi is perfectly legal open source software," XBMC Foundation President Nathan Betzen told us.
The Kodi team has been actively trying to distance itself from pirate elements. They enforce their trademark against sellers of pirate boxes and are in good contact with Hollywood's industry group, the MPAA.
Related: MPAA Chief Focuses Attention on the Kodi Platform
Hollywood Strikes Back Against Illegal Streaming Kodi Add-Ons
Kodi Returns to its Roots With an Xbox One Release
Kodi Media Player Addon Developers Under Pressure from ACE, Dish Network
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Saturday March 31 2018, @03:54AM
Yes, they have the power to prevent people who type "kod" from autocompleting to "kodi". The horror!
You do realize that the Internet predates search engines? You're free to stop using search engines, it's not like URLs and hyperlinks stop working if you don't use a search engine.
Also, there are a lot of search engines (Wikipedia has a list). I fail to see how anyone can hold a search engine monopoly; it's not like if Google gets 99% of the traffic all other search engines get blocked from the Internet. You can use both Google and Gigablast. Heck, even at the same time, to search for the same terms! (I'm embarrassed to even suggest such an obscene act; using two search engines at the same time? Two! At the same time! One more and you get an orgy!)
The ISPs are a much bigger threat than Google. Google cannot censor anything. ISPs can censor everything.
How such a poorly written FUD post is at 5 Insightful is beyond me.
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