The following list includes some common types of deceptive purpose pages. However, no list of deceptive page types will be complete4deceptive websites continue to evolve as people and search engines figure out how they are being tricked. ● A webpage or website that impersonates a different site (e.g., copied logo or branding of an unaffiliated site, URL that mimics another site's name, etc.) ● A non-satirical social network profile made by an impersonator ● A webpage or website that looks like a news source or information page, but in fact has articles to manipulate users in order to benefit a person, business, government, or other organization politically, monetarily, or otherwise ● A webpage claims to offer an independent review or share other information about a product, but is in fact created to make money for the owner of the website without attempting to help users. For example, the MC may contain intentionally misleading or inaccurate information created with the sole purpose of getting users to click on monetized links or buy the product ● A website claims to be the personal website of a celebrity, but the website is actually created to make money for the owner of the website without the permission of the celebrity. For example, the page may have false testimonials for a product and is created for the sole purpose of getting users to click on monetized links or buy the product ● A webpage with a misleading title or a title that has nothing to do with the content on the page. People who come to the page expecting content related to the title will feel tricked or deceived ● A webpage or website with deceptive website information. For example, the website may misrepresent who owns the site, what the website purpose really is, how the content was created, how to contact the site, etc. Another form of deception is through the design of the page. Some pages are deliberately designed to manipulate users to take an action that will benefit the owner of the website rather than help the user. Here are some common types of pages with deceptive MC design: ● Pages that disguise Ads as MC . Actual MC may be minimal or created to encourage users to click on the Ads. For example, fake search pages (example) that have a list of links that look like a page of search results. If you click on a few of the links, you will see that the page is just a collection of Ads disguised as search engine results. A <search box= is present, but submitting a new query just gives you a different page of Ads disguised as search results. ● Pages that disguise Ads as website navigation links . For example, fake directory pages (example) that look like a personally curated set of helpful links, possibly with unique descriptions. In reality, the links are Ads or links to other similar pages on the site. Sometimes the descriptions of the links are unrelated to the page. ● Any page primarily designed to trick users into clicking on links , which may be Ads or other links intended to serve the needs of the website rather than to benefit the user. Take a good look at the page and use your judgment. If you believe the true purpose of the page is not what it appears to be, the page should be rated Lowest. If you believe the page was deliberately created with the primary purpose to manipulate users to click on Ads, monetized links, questionable download links, etc., rather than to help people, the page should be rated Lowest. If the page uses deception in any form even if not described here, the page should be rated Lowest. 7.4.4 Deliberately Obstructed or Obscured MC Pages are untrustworthy if the MC is deliberately obstructed or obscured due to Ads, SC, interstitial pages, download links or other content that is beneficial to the website owner but not necessarily the website visitor. Attempts to manipulate or coerce users away from the MC is evidence of untrustworthiness, which makes the Lowest rating appropriate. Here are some examples of pages with deliberately obstructed or obscured MC that should be rated Lowest : ● Ads that continue to cover the MC as the website visitor scrolls down the page. The Ads are virtually impossible to close without clicking on the Ad ● Pop-ups that obscure the MC and cannot be closed without taking an action that benefits the website ● An interstitial page that attempts to coerce a download or click that does not benefit the website visitor ● Ads that push the MC down so far that many users would not notice the MC ● MC in white-on-white text or MC presented so that it is difficult for a human being to read
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