How to Get a Web Page Removed from the Internet
Many Web pages are great sources of information or social activity, but there are a great number of sites that are offensive, malicious or spam. Because of the legal gray area regarding Internet policy, the government cannot shut down a website simply for these reasons alone. But with some effort you can get an offensive website removed from the Internet.
Instructions
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File a complaint to the Web page host. If the page is clearly hosted by a different company, such as Yahoo, Google or Livepage, send a complaint to the host company. If the website violates their terms, it will be removed.
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Find the parent company if it is unclear. Visit the "Who Is Hosting This" web tool found in the Resources section. Enter the domain of the website, but not the specific address. For example, if the website you want removed is "http://www.website.com/asd.php?$~forty-two," only enter "www.website.com." Click "Search" to find out what company hosts the domain.
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File a complaint to the host of the domain. Many hosts provide an e-mail address or complaint form on their website. Include the reasons why you feel the content is offensive or malicious (did it give you a virus or seem illegal?) and the full address of the Web page in question.
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Use Google's malicious website form to report offending pages. While this option does not result in the removal of a Web page from the Internet, Google can remove it from search results and decrease traffic to the site exponentially. A link to the reporting form can be found in the Resources section.
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Tips & Warnings
If a website does not violate the company policy of its Web host, you will not be able to get it removed for being offensive. While many major Web hosts have rules against offensive material, some only maintain rules against malicious sites which distribute viruses or other harmful products.
References
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