"To better illustrate the issue, I've added an examples section citing over 20 cases of link fraud on Google Search, Bing and X."
Looking at the examples this reminds me of the domain name "industry"; most recently, ICANN's "new gTLDs".
For example, eligrey.com includes an example showing that someone is running Trader Joes ads on Google but the advertiser isn't Trader Joes. The intentional design of Google's Search Ad system allows the ad to appear as if it has been purchased by Trader Joes.
This is how ICANN drummed up "business" that would otherwise not exist. Let's say ACME Company has not paid ICANN money for a domain name or gTLD; it has no interest. ICANN then asks, "Who wants to register a domain name that is confusingly similar to ACME Company?" ICANN knows the internet is full of low lifes who will readily carry out such scams. These are ICANN's customers. This is turn puts pressure on ACME to respond. They may pay an ICANN-approved registry for a domain name. Or they might pay some third party ICANN-approved "UDRP provider" to address the problem. Perhaps ICANN takes a cut of the registry or UDRP fees. None of these payments were necessary until ICANN decided to facilitate scams.
It's also how Google drums up "business" for its ad sales racket. ACME may have no interest in purchasing Search ads. But Google knows the internet is full of SEO and adtech scammers. These are its customers. This in turn puts pressure on ACME to respond. They may be more inclined pay Google for Search ads. If ACME Company is not interested in buying Google Search Ads then there should be no search ads for ACME. But that is not how the system is intentionally designed.
Most if not all of the so-called "tech" companies run this routine in some form.
It is like a billboard that no one is interesting in using, so the billboard company fills it with something like "Your competitor's ad goes here". Nothing wrong with this in the real world except in the case of so-called "tech" companies the competitor is allowed to use your company's name on the billboard to make it appear you paid for the ad. The idea is that if no one is interested in paying to advertise on the billboard for offensive purposes, the billboard company believes it play on peoples' fears and pressure them to spend money defensively. In the case of so-called "tech" companies, there is no problem finding scammers who will pay. The internet is full of them.
Yes, Big Tech is "enabling link fraud". It generates revenue. It is intentional to allow it.
Or in a word: Extortion. "Pay us money to rent our asset, or else our policy of willful neglect will allow criminals to rent the asset and use it to harm you."
> It is like a billboard that no one is interesting in using, so the billboard company fills it with something like "Your competitor's ad goes here".
Here I disagree, that example is qualitatively different and would be totally legitimate if the competitor put a regular ad there.
Well, unless the billboard is on your company's building or something, then it might be misleading.
Looking at the examples this reminds me of the domain name "industry"; most recently, ICANN's "new gTLDs".
For example, eligrey.com includes an example showing that someone is running Trader Joes ads on Google but the advertiser isn't Trader Joes. The intentional design of Google's Search Ad system allows the ad to appear as if it has been purchased by Trader Joes.
This is how ICANN drummed up "business" that would otherwise not exist. Let's say ACME Company has not paid ICANN money for a domain name or gTLD; it has no interest. ICANN then asks, "Who wants to register a domain name that is confusingly similar to ACME Company?" ICANN knows the internet is full of low lifes who will readily carry out such scams. These are ICANN's customers. This is turn puts pressure on ACME to respond. They may pay an ICANN-approved registry for a domain name. Or they might pay some third party ICANN-approved "UDRP provider" to address the problem. Perhaps ICANN takes a cut of the registry or UDRP fees. None of these payments were necessary until ICANN decided to facilitate scams.
It's also how Google drums up "business" for its ad sales racket. ACME may have no interest in purchasing Search ads. But Google knows the internet is full of SEO and adtech scammers. These are its customers. This in turn puts pressure on ACME to respond. They may be more inclined pay Google for Search ads. If ACME Company is not interested in buying Google Search Ads then there should be no search ads for ACME. But that is not how the system is intentionally designed.
Most if not all of the so-called "tech" companies run this routine in some form. It is like a billboard that no one is interesting in using, so the billboard company fills it with something like "Your competitor's ad goes here". Nothing wrong with this in the real world except in the case of so-called "tech" companies the competitor is allowed to use your company's name on the billboard to make it appear you paid for the ad. The idea is that if no one is interested in paying to advertise on the billboard for offensive purposes, the billboard company believes it play on peoples' fears and pressure them to spend money defensively. In the case of so-called "tech" companies, there is no problem finding scammers who will pay. The internet is full of them.
Yes, Big Tech is "enabling link fraud". It generates revenue. It is intentional to allow it.