Encrypted Email Service Files DMA Complaint Claiming It Vanished from Google Search (theregister.com) 18
Tutao, known for the encrypted email service Tuta Mail, has filed a Digital Markets Act (DMA) complaint to the EU over an alleged de-ranking in Google Search. From a report: Google Search rankings are all too familiar to search engine optimization (SEO) specialists charged with ensuring web pages rise to the top of search results. In the case of Tutao's products -- Tuta Mail and Tuta Calendar -- all was going well until the beginning of March 2024, when the company claims tuta.com was abruptly de-ranked in Google Search. Rather than being displayed as a search result of thousands of keywords, the count dropped to the hundreds, the developer alleges.
Matthias Pfau, co-founder of Tuta Mail, said: "This reduction in Google Search took us by surprise as we did not change anything on our website during that time. We tried to reach out to Google about this issue, but were met with radio silence." Google denies the claims. It told The Reg: "Search ranking updates absolutely do not aim to preference Google products, or any other particular website. The email provider in question is easily accessible globally on Search. We appreciate the feedback and will look into how we can ensure Search continues to return the most helpful, relevant results."
Tuta Mail's Pfau claims a change in results mean that when a user searches for "encrypted email," Tuta's products no longer show up. However, he went on to allege that if you search for "Tuta" or "Tutanota," the company appears in the results.
Matthias Pfau, co-founder of Tuta Mail, said: "This reduction in Google Search took us by surprise as we did not change anything on our website during that time. We tried to reach out to Google about this issue, but were met with radio silence." Google denies the claims. It told The Reg: "Search ranking updates absolutely do not aim to preference Google products, or any other particular website. The email provider in question is easily accessible globally on Search. We appreciate the feedback and will look into how we can ensure Search continues to return the most helpful, relevant results."
Tuta Mail's Pfau claims a change in results mean that when a user searches for "encrypted email," Tuta's products no longer show up. However, he went on to allege that if you search for "Tuta" or "Tutanota," the company appears in the results.
Google fixed it (Score:2)
Rather than being displayed as a search result of thousands of keywords, the count dropped to the hundreds, the developer alleges.
If you were showing up under thousands of keywords then you were gaming the search process. Good on Google for fixing that.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: Google fixed it (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Ranking algorithms are inherently manipulable. For good or ill. If the function of the search engine is so important, I can't see leaving it to an unregulated private entity. All this anti-government libertarianism got us here, and i'm not blameless myself, but time to realize the truth; the world of the past that was more orderly was that way because of regulation that seemed draconian but turned out to be necessary to prevent abuses.
Re: sure lets just file complaints about everythin (Score:2)
Well sites posting about the âoesnafuâ will certainly help in them getting up-ranked, on the condition they link to the site. Even if they donâ(TM)t, theyâ(TM)ll get some temporary traffic, the legal proceedings as a form of marketing.
Just say it (Score:2)
Just say it. You caught the government who publicly speaks about their hatred of encryption applications, deranking something they dont like.
Thats what this is.
Re: (Score:2)
I stopped asking them after years of a "coming soon" ticket if they were going to support tor hidden services and they were like "no really, soon!" every time.
OK, Lucy.
Don't assume only one intelligence service here.
(it takes one guy a day to set this up).
Misleading job title (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
That's it, they hired SEO companies when Google makes pretty clear that if you use any tricks like SEO optimization, they will de-rank you.
That's not radio silence. (Score:2)
That's "the mailbox belonging to google is full - please try again later".
Re: (Score:2)
Lawsuit is their Publicity Strategy (Score:2)
They likely don't care about the results of the lawsuit, or even if there's any valid legal basis for it. The whole strategy is almost certainly to get news stories like this to create awareness of their product. It's a marketing lawsuit.
This is much like all those "rejected Superbowl ad" post companies and organizations put out to get you to watch their ad that was allegedly rejected for airing during the Superbowl. Usually it's quite straightforward that the ad violates standards set by the network for
I Googled (Score:2)
"Encrypted email providers" had several lists/reviews on the first page that included Tuta, though their own site wasn't near the top.