According to Chinese reports, following CCTV’s initial broadcast in November, the State Food and Drug Administration had issued a watch-list of 23 websites that sell fraudulent medicine. Yet a second investigation aired by CCTV Thursday found these sites can still be found on search-results pages from engines including Google China and Yahoo China.
The report notes that the websites can be found on the engines’ search pages and among their sponsored links.
The initial news prompted Baidu to launch an ad platform that separates its list of paid links from its general search listings. However, the effort has not stopped a group of lawyers from pursuing a mass-litigation suit against the engine, which may bring up claims by Baidu users who have purchased products from these fraudulent medical sites.
