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Mulley.net not censored says Google

Google has said that the problem with Mulley.net being removed the ‘Thinkhouse PR’ search results was a technical issue and there was “nothing manual” about the action.

Mulley.net has returned to the Google search for Thinkhouse PR, it now takes up the second ranking just after the Dublin-based PR company’s website.

Following Mulley.net, the all important first page of Google search results for ‘Thinkhouse PR’ is filled with a number of other blog entries with a copy of Mulley’s open letter to the Irish Data Protection Commissioner. Page two to five of results are also dominated by blogs on the spam story.

Google’s Adam Lasnik had commented on Damien Mulley’s blog stating “Hey, I like a good conspiracy as much as the next guy (big X-Files fan… well, of the early years at least), but I must respectfully note that there’s no nefarious banning that’s gone on here”.

Lasnik added that “While it may be seen as unfortunate timing, some pages of mulley.net are currently not shown in our search results due purely to algorithmic factors… nothing manual or otherwise intentional about it”.

The Data Protection Commissioner’s decision on the matter of Thinkhouse Public Relations And Event Management Limited spamming Mulley says that the company was in the wrong, but told him “In concluding the investigation into the matters raised by you, this Office is prepared to accept the explanation given by Thinkhouse in this instance, and is satisfied that they are now aware of their obligations under Data Protection legislation”.

Thinkhouse has not replied to a Blurred Keys email request from comment.

Dublin's Thinkhouse PR accused of spam; Google censors search listings?

Google has apparently removed a search listing pointing to a blogger’s complaint that the Thinkhouse PR were “repeatedly” spamming him.

In their ‘Media and Marketing’ section, the Sunday Tribune yesterday published a story on the Dublin-based Thinkhouse PR moving into an office in “virtual Dublin” in the online computer game Second Life; but good press doesn’t last if you spam the wrong person.

Damien Mulley author of Irish blog mulley.net, and chairman of the voluntary pressure group IrelandOffline, was sent unsolicited email multiple times, even after a number of removal requests.

Mulley originally posted an open letter to the Data Protection Commissioner on August 23, but controversy only arose today after he realised his post has apparently being black listed from a Google search index of ‘Thinkhouse PR’.

According to Mulley his first post had taken third position on the ‘Thinkhouse PR’ search, a post linking to his from Irish blog tomrafteryit.net has since taken the position.

Today – after realising the Google removal – Mulley asked bloggers to repost his open letter. So-far taking up the challenge or linking are tomrafteryit.net, damienblake.com, adammaguire.com, lexferenda.com, stalltheball.com, ocaoimh.ie, eirepreneur.blogs.com, irish.typepad.com, twentymajor.blogspot.com, dossing.blogspot.com, and blog.rsynnott.com.