Google has removed several torrent search extensions that were created for its Chrome browser, as they could allow unauthorized access to copyrighted content .
This decision has upset many torrent site owners, who say that not all content on their sites is pirated. Furthermore, as TorrentFreak points out, Google's search bar could well be judged in the same way.
The media industry has been pressuring Google in recent years to crack down on copyright infringement. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) are two of the leading senders of DMCA requests to Google, asking the company to remove millions of URLs from its search results page.
Over the past few weeks, tools associated with The Pirate Bay, KickassTorrents, Torlock, and other torrent portals have disappeared from the Chrome Web Store. The messages sent to developers state that these types of extensions encourage, facilitate, and enable copyright infringement.
“We do not allow products or services that violate third-party terms of service, as well as products/services that encourage, facilitate, or enable unauthorized access, download, or transmission of copyrighted content,” Google says.
