Google Publishes Tennessee Search “Blacklist” Guidance

Google is complying with a brand new regulation in Tennessee that makes it accountable to small companies within the occasion of blacklisting from search outcomes or having their opinions eliminated. The brand new regulation is a part of a broader societal concern about massive tech monopolies that might hurt small companies. Google printed pointers particular to Tennessee companies that make it simpler for them to obtain notifications associated to what the regulation defines as blacklisting.

SB 2262

SB 2262 is a brand new regulation handed in Tennessee that goes into impact on July 1 and gives protections to small companies that have “blacklisting” by a search engine or see their opinions lowered by 25% or extra.

The regulation makes use of the phrase “blacklist” to imply one in every of three issues:

“(i) scale back the visibility or accessibility of a small enterprise’s web site on an internet search engine;

(ii) take away a small enterprise’s web site or the search outcome for such web site from an internet search engine; or

(iii) delete or in any other case take away from the web search engine 25% or extra of the opinions of a small enterprise.”

Violations of the brand new regulation allows small companies to convey a court docket motion towards Google or some other search engine.”

Small companies are outlined as companies with 50 or much less staff.

The unique model of the regulation required serps to inform small companies if they’ve been blacklisted. The regulation that was really handed was amended on April 6, 2026 eliminated that requirement and changed it with a small enterprise’s proper to contact the search engine and demand an evidence.

The amended law says:

“…authorize a small enterprise that believes an internet search engine has blacklisted the small enterprise to contact the web search engine and request a response regarding the motion. The search engine should present a response to such request inside 5 enterprise days that features an evidence of the motion and justification for the motion; the method, steps, and necessities obligatory for the small enterprise to enchantment the motion or be restored or re-indexed;…”

Google’s Response

Google has printed new guidelines which might be particular to small companies in Tennessee which specify actions that small companies should take as a way to make sure that they obtain notices that they’re required to ship.

The brand new pointers state:

“Tennessee SB 2262 (2026) entitles sure small companies in Tennessee to be notified if their digital listings or buyer opinions are eliminated or restricted from on-line serps. To be sure to obtain these notifications from Google Search, remember to do the next:

Confirm your web site in Search Console

Declare and handle different enterprise listings on Google that will seem on Search”

The brand new pointers clarify the advantages of signing up for Search Console:

“Spam and coverage violations: Get notified in case your web site is in violation of Google’s spam insurance policies and different coverage violations.

Authorized removals: Get alerts if content material was eliminated because of native authorized necessities.

Safety points: Get notified about malware or hacked content material in your web site.”

It additionally explains the advantages of claiming a Google Enterprise Profile and getting began with a Service provider Heart itemizing.

Takeaway

The brand new regulation is supposed to convey extra transparency to the way in which serps checklist and delist small companies and to make serps extra accountable to companies.

Shedding a lot of constructive opinions may cause extreme enterprise hurt. The Tennessee regulation seeks to provide these enterprise homeowners authorized energy to carry serps like Google extra accountable for his or her selections.

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