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Google Shopping Cracks Down on Gun-Related Products... Such as BurGUNdy Wine

Accepted submission by takyon at 2018-03-01 23:30:34
Techonomics

Google has banned items containing the string "gun" in the name on its e-commerce search platform, accidentally targeting many innocuous items [telegraph.co.uk]:

Google Shopping, which allows users to compare product prices from thousands of online retailers, has removed all 'gun' search results - even if the product is not gun-related.

Online shoppers have complained about being unable to browse dozens of products such as Burgundy wine, water guns and music by American rock band Guns N' Roses. Searches for products including nail guns, glue guns and Arsenal Football Club's Gunnersaurus dinosaur mascot also returns the message: "Your search did not match any shopping results."

Google has banned weapons listings since 2012, however online shoppers have highlighted certain product unavailability since the Florida school shooting on Valentine's Day which left 17 dead [telegraph.co.uk].

The block could be circumvented [vice.com] using alternate terms such as "handgnu" or "fully automatic firearm".

Also at Engadget [engadget.com].


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