Pollen tried to remove my article and Google is assisting with it

Abuse of takedown mechanisms

• Commenters say copyright and takedown systems are routinely abused to bury negative coverage, often via “reputation management” outfits.
• DMCA requires notices “under penalty of perjury,” but posters say they’re unaware of any prosecutions; in practice, the risk to abusers is seen as near-zero.
• Some argue this dynamic effectively weaponizes copyright against investigative reporting and public-interest information.

Google’s process and incentives

• Many believe Google auto-accepts most notices to preserve safe-harbor status and minimize cost; failing to remove content is the only substantial legal risk for Google.
• Several note that Google appears to use a DMCA-like process that doesn’t fully follow the statutory counter-notice flow, with reports of rejected counterclaims and opaque “we decided not to take action” responses.
• A dispute arises over whether this case used a “real” DMCA or a parallel process; a screenshot labeled “DMCA” is cited, but others say Google has incentives to blur that line.

Notification, identity, and doxxing

• Site owners usually learn of removals through Google Search Console; without it, they may never know.
• Challenging a takedown often requires revealing one’s full identity and contact details, which commenters say creates a doxxing risk and cost asymmetry.
• The obviously fake identity and impossible address used in this case infuriate many; they see it as proof that Google does almost no verification on complainants.

Proposed reforms and tradeoffs

• Suggestions include: mandatory court orders, attorney-signed complaints, identity or address verification, notarized letters, refundable deposits, and stricter penalties for bad-faith claims.
• Others highlight practical issues: court systems are slow and overloaded, cross-border jurisdiction is tricky, and DMCA’s speed is still vital for things like revenge pornography.
• Several insist existing perjury provisions and civil remedies would be enough if they were actually enforced.

Streisand effect and perception

• Multiple comments note the attempted removal has backfired, driving the article and related documentary higher in search results for the company and its executives.
• There’s broad frustration that large platforms react quickly when powerful actors want something scrubbed, while ordinary users face opaque, slow, or nonexistent recourse.