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Google in talks to choke pirate web sites
US technology giant Google has initiated talks with leading electronic payment companies in an effort to block illegal web sites from receiving funding.
Google takes aim at online pirates
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Google hopes talks with Visa, Paypal and Mastercard will negate any need to further alter its search engine function to disadvantage illegal sites, reports the BBC.
The suggested block could work in a similar way to the one applied to the Wikileaks web site, which had its funding cut by firms under reported pressure from US authorities.
Online piracy
However, the move was controversial, with many opponents calling for boycotts of the companies involved.
Although Google declined to comment directly on talks with the companies it was keen to highlight its increased focus on tackling online piracy, stating that in the last month alone some 14 million links to illegal material were removed.
Mastercard is the only payment company to respond to the reports so far, stating: ‘Mastercard takes online safety and security seriously. We work closely with our part-ners to ensure the best possible experience when using elec¬tronic payments.’
