Google is scraping my content for Android usage. The whole content!

[Web_speed]

I have a stock market related web forum. I noticed today a couple of referrals using an android phone.

They came in after using google search from their phone. What ticks me off is that Google is displaying an unauthorized version of my page with text at the top saying “This page adapted for your browser comes from www.URL-WAS-REMOVED.com and is not endorsed by Google.” And if you try clicking any of the links on the page they just take you round and round and you can not leave Google to the actual site. The pages are striped off any banner ads etc and the content is plain and simple being displayed to the user under the Google name without my consent.

It is like the pages are being displayed via a google proxy while striped off many elements and the content is used as they see fit. Non of the links on page work (as they supposed to) and you can not leave the google page. The only way to visit the real site is a tiny link that google provide at the very bottom of the scrapped pages.

I’m thinking of contacting my lawyer this week. This to me no longer look like a google SERPs cache thing. What it does look like is a serious violation of copyrights and recycling of my content to their users without my consent.

I am very interested in hearing your thoughts on this subject. Anyone else noticed this ?

P.S.
Want to see an example ? Try this:
[google.com...]

Visit any of the websites listed on this page and check out the modified google scrapped content.

[netmeg]

Hunh; I didn't see it; clicked on four of those links.

[Web_speed]

lol...you must be joking.

This is not a links page. what you saw are google serps the way the are displayed to Android users. Now click any of the links on the page and you should easily notice that what you get is scraped content from the website listed. You never get to leave Google.

[edited by: Web_speed at 2:02 pm (utc) on Aug 1, 2010]

[incrediBILL]

I just tried a few in my android phone even and didn't see Google make any changes to the sites.

The sites looked the same as they did in my normal browser.

[Web_speed]

The only way to tell is only if you visit the said sites directly and then compare. The sites are striped off style sheets, banner ads etc. Text content only.

I almost fainted when i saw my site via these links. Scrapped content at its best.

And because it is a forum i tried registration to see if this traffic can by anyway benefit the website, nada, worthless.

[edited by: Web_speed at 2:27 pm (utc) on Aug 1, 2010]

[vordmeister]

The page comes up in a normal browser looking normal. Click options and mobile format beside one of the links and you'll see the mobile view hosted by Google.

[incrediBILL]

What are you talking about?

I clicked the links and visited each site directly.

They were perfectly displayed!

AdSense ads, banners, nothing was filtered.

[Web_speed]

The page comes up in a normal browser looking normal. Click options and mobile format beside one of the links and you'll see the mobile view hosted by Google.

Precisely. It is mobile view hosted by Google that i have a problem with.

Question asked, are they allowed to break my pages and freely distribute a text only version of the site (not a snippet...full pages) to their users without my consent? breaking on page links and site navigation while locking the viewer to read MY content directly on Google ?

[incrediBILL]

My browser on my phone is set to use mobile view when available, and it didn't, nor did your links invoke any mobile view.

I think I know what you're talking about, but that mobile view only showed on ancient phones that couldn't display those pages in the first place if I remember right.

[Web_speed]

Not sure about "ancient" phones. That referral string has "Android" in it and is dated today (US referral).

Here is that referral string again:
google.com/m?gl=us&source=android-launcher-search&client=ms-android-hms-tmobile-us&hl=en&q=stock+market+forum

Now try inputting this string in your browser and then click to any of the sites on the results list...scrapped content galore

For even more fun. While you are on the search page, input keywords to bring up your own website. Then click the result to visit your site. Trust me, you are not going to like what you'll see.

[edited by: Web_speed at 3:27 pm (utc) on Aug 1, 2010]

[netmeg]

Sorry dude, just not seeing it. Not even with that search string.

[Web_speed]

@netmeg

Your missing... ;)

[incrediBILL]

I used that referral string the first time and the second, I see the special SERP listings, but no special sites.

Something is different about your settings or something, not seeing it.

[suratmedia]

Either make your site mobile compatible or disallow googlebot-mobile & don't expect any traffic from Google Mobile Search.

[Web_speed]

Something is different about your settings or something, not seeing it.

Strange that you guys cant see it. I use IE8 and FF and can see the problem in both. I also tried 3 different PCs and i see the same.

Maybe it has something to do with my geolocation (I'm in Australia). But trust me the the cynical copyrights abuse is right there staring at my face. I wish i could post screen shoots here.

Either make your site mobile compatible or disallow googlebot-mobile & don't expect any traffic from Google Mobile Search.

So you are saying that if my websites are not mobile compatible and i don't disallow googleboot-mobile then i should except/agree to google abusing my copyrights, scrapping my content (full pages) dismantle, and recycle it to their Android users as they see fit? while the user never leave their site?... I don't think so!




I'd appreciate someone located in Australia to try and recreate the problem:

1) run IE or FF and then load the following referral string (url)
google.com/m?gl=us&source=android-launcher-search&client=ms-android-hms-tmobile-us&hl=en&q=stock+market+forum

2) Once on the SERP try substituting "stock+market+forum" with keywords which you know are most likely to bring out your web site in the results.

3) Click your web site from the results list and then try and browse it. Watch the url's while you are trying to browse your site. Also note how the content is filtered and hardly recognizable (no style sheets banner ads etc). You never get to see the real site UNLESS you click the "Go to site" tiny link right at the very bottom of the scrapped pages.

[tangor]

Played the game as described above with EXACT KEYWORDS that brought up ONLY MY SITE, and guess what, everything worked properly, even links back to my home page, next page, etc. Not sure what you're seeing.

[Web_speed]

I'd appreciate someone located in Australia to try and recreate the problem

[Web_speed]

Played the game as described above with EXACT KEYWORDS that brought up ONLY MY SITE, and guess what, everything worked properly, even links back to my home page, next page, etc. Not sure what you're seeing.

So you saw a MOBILE version of your web site and everything looked normal?...

Where are you located BTW?

[tedster]

I do see what I think you're seeing, and I'm in the US. Every page comes through a Google Android URL and the page is stripped down and missing certain features. Every link goes to another Android url, too.

I think the best advice comes from suratmedia above, because the kind of treatment your site is getting is common in the mobile world. Them little computers just can't handle a full-blow website.

So either create a mobile version or block them, if that's your choice. You'll probably get more mileage out of playing the game, however. And since you're already getting mobile traffic, I'd say go for it - it's an opportunity.

[Web_speed]

I do see what I think you're seeing, and I'm in the US. Every page comes through a Google Android URL and the page is stripped down and missing certain features. Every link goes to another Android url, too.

I think the best advice comes from suratmedia above, because the kind of treatment your site is getting is not uncommon at all in the mobile world. Them little computers just can't handle a full-blow website.

So either create a mobile version or block them, if that's your choice. You'll probably get more mileage out of playing the game, however. And since you're already getting mobile traffic, I'd say go for it - it's an opportunity.

Thanks tedster, precisely the reason i posted this issue to begin with. To hear a PROFESIONAL advice form a "trained eye" veteran and you hit the nail right on the head.

Yes i think it is precisely what you described in your post yet i still disagree with the notion that google can do with my content whatever they like and infringe on my copyrights in such away . I do get lots of Rim, iphone & ipad traffic and never saw this problem before. They get to see the pages exactly the way i intended them to be (minus the flash objects).

Seems like google yet again have zero respect to site owners copyrights. They are scrapping my content (full pages) and i will be seeking legal advice and compansation.

Last question asked. How do i block google android traffic and mobile crawl. I still want searches from blackberries and iphone. It is only android traffic and android scrapper that i wish to block.


P.S.

Them little computers just can't handle a full-blow website.

Android is a latest smartphone. Should be more then cable of viewing web pages just as iPhone ipad or blackberries.

[edited by: Web_speed at 1:55 am (utc) on Aug 2, 2010]

[tedster]

I'd think long and hard about it - are you sure you don't want that traffic to see anything at all from you? After all, those folks also have laptops and desktops, too. Get them hooked on your quality and they could become very loyal.

I honestly would NOT block them, I'd work to give them a better experience. It's a marketing opportunity - really.

[Brett_Tabke]

I ran through a couple of pages and ended up getting a cookie set. Once I had that cookie, I saw only mobile formated versions that are running through G's mobile site. I can see why you are upset.

> block them

There is so little real traffic that is going to come down that channel, that blocking it isn't saving you anything. Ted is right - you don't know what will come of it eventually.

> google have zero respect to site owners copyrights.

[Web_speed]

I honestly would NOT block them, I'd work to give them a better experience. It's a marketing opportunity - really.

i tried long and hard following the links. They go round and round and the user is locked to viewing the content on google. None of the forum functions are working (registrations etc.) in such view. Ads are stripped off. Worthless at best. I clicked and clicked and i clicked. You end up on google UNLESS you find that tinny mini winni link at the bottom of the scrapped page. Only then google lets you proceed to the original website and view it as the site owner intended it to be.

I really want to block that traffic and most importantly, the Android SCRAPPER. I hate content scarrpping and copyrights abuse, this must stop as far as i am concerned. Where do you think i should start to blocking the above?

[Web_speed]

> google have zero respect to site owners copyrights.

Thanks Brett, You may be interested in checking this URL too:

google.com/m?gl=us&source=android-launcher-search&client=ms-android-hms-tmobile-us&hl=en&q=webmaster+world

agrrrrrr....

[tangor]

So you saw a MOBILE version of your web site and everything looked normal?...

Site I used to test is not your ordinary site. It is "1997-2001" in code, thus very friendly to mobile from the get go, also does not have ads. Might not be the best test, but worked just fine.

[Web_speed]

Site I used to test is not your ordinary site. It is "1997-2001" in code, thus very friendly to mobile from the get go, also does not have ads. Might not be the best test, but worked just fine.

try this url this time:

google.com/m?gl=us&source=android-launcher-search&client=ms-android-hms-tmobile-us&hl=en&q=webmaster+world

and then click to webmasterworld from the search results page (should come up 1st).

Then try to register with the webmasterworld forum, paid subscription etc....nothing works except for scrapped content. This site would be a much better example...