Google Publishes Tennessee Search “Blacklist” Guidance

Google is complying pinch a caller rule successful Tennessee that makes it accountable to mini businesses successful the arena of blacklisting from hunt results aliases having their reviews removed. The caller rule is portion of a broader societal interest astir large tech monopolies that could harm mini businesses. Google published guidelines circumstantial to Tennessee businesses that make it easier for them to person notifications related to what the rule defines arsenic blacklisting.

SB 2262

SB 2262 is simply a caller rule passed successful Tennessee that goes into effect connected July 1 and offers protections to mini businesses that acquisition “blacklisting” by a hunt motor aliases spot their reviews reduced by 25% aliases more.

The rule uses the connection “blacklist” to mean 1 of 3 things:

“(i) trim the visibility aliases accessibility of a mini business’s website connected an online hunt engine;

(ii) region a mini business’s website aliases the hunt consequence for specified website from an online hunt engine; or

(iii) delete aliases different region from the online hunt motor 25% aliases much of the reviews of a mini business.”

Violations of the caller rule enables mini businesses to bring a tribunal action against Google aliases immoderate different hunt engine.”

Small businesses are defined arsenic businesses pinch 50 aliases little employees.

The original type of the rule required hunt engines to notify mini businesses if they person been blacklisted. The rule that was really passed was amended connected April 6, 2026 removed that request and replaced it pinch a mini business’s correct to interaction the hunt motor and request an explanation.

The amended law says:

“…authorize a mini business that believes an online hunt motor has blacklisted the mini business to interaction the online hunt motor and petition a consequence concerning the action. The hunt motor must supply a consequence to specified petition wrong 5 business days that includes an mentation of the action and justification for the action; the process, steps, and requirements basal for the mini business to entreaty the action aliases beryllium restored aliases re-indexed;…”

Google’s Response

Google has published new guidelines that are circumstantial to mini businesses successful Tennessee which specify actions that mini businesses must return successful bid to guarantee that they person notices that they are required to send.

The caller guidelines state:

“Tennessee SB 2262 (2026) entitles definite mini businesses successful Tennessee to beryllium notified if their integer listings aliases customer reviews are removed aliases restricted from online hunt engines. To make judge you person these notifications from Google Search, beryllium judge to do the following:

Verify your website successful Search Console

Claim and negociate different business listings connected Google that whitethorn look connected Search”

The caller guidelines explicate the benefits of signing up for Search Console:

“Spam and argumentation violations: Get notified if your tract is successful usurpation of Google’s spam policies and different argumentation violations.

Legal removals: Get alerts if contented was removed owed to section ineligible requirements.

Security issues: Get notified astir malware aliases hacked contented connected your site.”

It besides explains the benefits of claiming a Google Business Profile and getting started pinch a Merchant Center listing.

Takeaway

The caller rule is meant to bring much transparency to the measurement hunt engines database and delist mini businesses and to make hunt engines much accountable to businesses.

Losing a ample number of affirmative reviews tin origin terrible business harm. The Tennessee rule seeks to springiness these business owners ineligible powerfulness to clasp hunt engines for illustration Google much accountable for their decisions.

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