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Google urged to remove hurtful bullfighting ad links
9 April 2008 The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is calling on Google to remove advert links from a page which previews a book about anti-bullfight campaigner, Vicki Moore. The links to a retailer of bullfighting tickets appear on a Google Book Search page for "Life on the Line". In a letter to Google's CEO today, ICABS asked for the company to show compassion and remove the "sponsored links" which, we stressed, are "hurtful not only to Vicki's surviving husband, Tony, but also to the many people in Ireland, the UK and across the world who remember the enormous contribution Vicki made to the campaign against bullfighting." Sponsored links are advertisement links which companies pay Google to display on their search pages. "We are asking for you to please remove these bullfighting-related sponsored links," we appealed to Dr. Eric E. Schmidt. "Life on the Line is a book about Vicki Moore - a woman who dedicated her life to the campaign against bullfight cruelty. She led the campaign for many years along with her husband, Tony, and together they exposed much abuse against bulls in bullrings, bullruns and fiestas. In 1995 she was violently gored by a bull while filming for a British TV company. She was gored 11 times in the chest, back, groin, legs and also suffered a punctured lung and eight badly smashed ribs. She never fully recovered and died five years later." "With this in mind, we hope that Google can be sensitive to the memory of this brave and much respected and loved woman and remove the sponsored links," we added. The links highlighted to Google point to companies selling bullfighting tickets, bullfighting costumes and accommodation in Pamplona during the town's cruel bullrun event. ICABS has renewed its appeal to Google to implement a policy of refusing all future applications for bullfighting-related Sponsored Links. "As a modern and compassionate company which prides itself on a positive global image, it would be very appropriate for Google to stop allowing those who advertise or promote animal cruelty to benefit from your sponsored links service," we stated.
ACTION ALERT Please ask Google to show compassion and remove the bullfighting-related links from the Google Book Search page for "Life on the Line". Ask the company to stop accepting ads for activities involving animal cruelty.
Sample Letter
Dr. Eric E. Schmidt, Ph.D.
Email Google Ads at: adwords-support@google.com
Dear Mr Schmidt, I am writing to ask that Google show sensitivity to the memory of Vicki Moore - a woman who dedicated her life to the campaign against bullfighting cruelty. I am upset to learn that sponsored links for bullfighting appear on a Google Book Search page which previews a book about Vicki. I trust that it was not Google's intention to be disrespectful or insensitive but the fact remains that the presence of these links is hurtful not only to Vicki's surviving husband, Tony, but also to the many people in Ireland, the UK and across the world who remember the enormous contribution Vicki made to the campaign against bullfighting. Please urgently replace these links with links that do not promote animal cruelty. I also urge Google to implement a policy of refusing sponsored links from companies that are advertising events based on animal cruelty. Thank you. I look forward to your positive reply. Yours sincerely, [Name/Location] Photos: Bullfighting barbarity
Bullfighting: More information Leaflet | Photos | Videos | Petition | Links Make a donation to ICABS Please consider making a small donation to ICABS. For more details, please click on the button below or follow this link to find out how to become a campaign supporter. Thank you.
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