Bogus complaints see Irish Times articles, solicitor’s videos on Rob Heneghan delisted by Google

The Irish Times reports on a disturbing trend where bogus copyright complaints are being used to silence legitimate journalism and legal commentary. The articles in question, which investigated the activities of betting tipster Rob Heneghan and his promotion of a gambling site with a questionable license, have been systematically removed from Google search results. This tactic, involving complaints originating from as far away as Vietnam and Indonesia, is a clear attempt to stifle public scrutiny and accountability.

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Bogus copyright complaints have led to Irish Times news articles and videos posted by a solicitor that all referred to a high-profile betting tipster being delisted from Google and scrubbed from social media sites.

Adding to the concern, solicitor Terry Gorry, who created videos discussing legal cases involving Heneghan, has also had his social media accounts disabled. This coordinated effort to scrub information from the public domain is alarming. It highlights a vulnerability in online platforms where bad actors can exploit copyright mechanisms to suppress reporting, even when the reporting is based on court proceedings and official warnings about fraudulent operations.

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The Irish Times news articles relating to Rob Heneghan, who runs Pro Sports Advice, a subscription-based betting advice business, were removed from Google search results earlier this month following bogus copyright complaints that were in some cases made from southeast Asia.

While Google has begun restoring some of the delisted stories, the fact that many remain inaccessible, particularly within Ireland, is a testament to the effectiveness of these underhanded tactics. The Irish Times stands by its reporting and calls for greater transparency and robustness in the systems that handle copyright takedown requests to prevent such abuses.

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Separately, Terry Gorry, a solicitor who has made videos about legal cases for 15 years, said he had three social media accounts across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok disabled after bogus copyright complaints were made about videos he made about a legal case that Heneghan has taken.