hello, i've seen reports by other users on this forum as well who fell for this paid scam links (part of googles ad programs?) as well and ended up with all sorts of adware bundled with a download they thought to be the mere firefox browser. it should actually be possible to prohibit that by using mozilla's trademark rights to the firefox brand, but i'm not sure to which extent google is complicit in this practise and profiting from referrals by the ads or if they are cooperating in tackling such scam sites on the other hand...

in any case, if you come across such sites, please take a short moment and report them at https://www.mozilla.org/legal/fraud-report/ so that further action can be taken.

I don't think there's anything Mozilla can do about Google placing ads above the organic search results, so this is likely to be an ongoing problem. However, it is possible to complain about specific ads that are misleading, and sites that inappropriately use Mozilla trademarks.

If I open a new private window so I can search without Google tweaking my results, I do see a suspicious listing for some downloader which makes "commercial offers."

Although this is all speculative, I would like to give Google the benefit of the doubt that they are not colluding with these unscrupulous scam sites which are using the Firefox trademark without consent. I have always felt that Google's intentions were good. However, this one is a close call and there is no question that if Google is aware of it and doing nothing about it, they are, by not correcting the results ranking, certainly not acting in the spirit of fair competition. While the circumstances are a close call, the end result for Mozilla Firefox is NOT. The negative impact on Firefox would be huge if people were to start circulating the meme that Firefox contains spyware and adware. Once this meme becomes entrenched it will be too late to eradicate and the damage will be done. As I said, I intend to post this on a general Google forum (not Chrome Specific) and see what Google has to say about it.

You are probably right that there is nothing that Mozilla can directly do to address this issue. However, if Google's intentions here are less than noble, that fact needs to be illuminated as much as possible. IMO Google has virtually a spotless record (I may be naive here so chime in with hard references if I am wrong - hearsay doesn't count for much). It would be incredibly disappointing to find out they were trying to hurt Firefox or for that matter not defending Firefox when they have plenty of muscle to do so. The legacy of Firefox goes all the way back to the days of NCSA Mosaic, which was a purely altruistic effort that anybody who was around remembers fondly.

Hi Positron, I am not aware of any intention on Google's part to divert users to sketchy sites.

Looks like a change in Google Terms of Service may have brought about some changes in the search results pages. see the screenshot
I don't know what it looked like before because the ABP filterset I use blocks that redish / pinkish section altogether - all those "paid ads" are blocked.

Google less than noble? They sell advertising! The difference now-a-days is that very faint tinge for the paid advertisement section is almost impossible to see. As I recall, the blueish tinge was easier to see. Then again maybe that's just these oldman's eyes not seeing the reds as well as the blues??

OK, yeah, I see what all of you are saying, this is not so much an issue of page rankings it is an issue of Google allowing paid malware advertisements. So, worse than I thought, they are essentially endorsing this crap. I wouldn't care if it was run of the mill crap which everyone is aware of and knows to avoid. But, this one, IMO really tarnishes Google's reputation - putting malware download links at the top of the list for Firefox is just pissing in the punch bowl. I can't fathom why the creators of such things as Google Earth, Gmail, Chrome etc which IMO were well intentioned mainstream products would go to the dark side like this. What would their excuse be? Well sorry, we simply can't monitor all of our transactions.(and thus we are not taking responsibility for them). Must be nice to be pharmacist who is never accountable for what he dispenses. Oh well, I was rooting for Google to take on the Darknet but I guess its back to bobbing for apples in the porta-potty. (Think I will uninstall Chrome on all of my machines today and look for a Gmail alternative)

" I can't fathom why the creators of such things as Google Earth, Gmail, Chrome etc which IMO were well intentioned mainstream products would go to the dark side like this."

Street View is under attack from governments around the globe over privacy issues - show peoples faces until they're forced to blur them.
Gmail is screening users email to decide what advertisements to show the user - and allows the NSA to do what they want ...

Google mantra of "do no evil" has morphed into we'll do as we want, and just change the ToS to cover our asses - in case we break the law and get sued.

"we'll do as we want, and just change the ToS to cover our asses"

Yes, this a problem that is rampant due to the fact that our legal systems around the world have not caught up to the dynamic nature of electronic communications. Its virtually impossible to pin anybody down on anything because all we ever get of things anymore are fleeting glimpses, everything is as if it was written on the beach sand with a finger. Couple this with virtually no authentication of anything - and - well - I honestly believe, and this may sound extreme, that the entire system should be shut down and restructured and reopened only when there is sufficient authentication and a way to hold individuals accountable for their actions in Cyberspace...people will laugh at my assessment, but I would love to see the streets and brick and mortar establishments thronged with HONORABLE people who AREN'T afraid to show their face in public and have a tangible reputation to protect. It would likewise be GREAT to see how many people simply have nowhere to hide anymore. CRANK UP THE LIGHT AND LETS SEE THE BUGS COME OUT OF THE CUPBOARD. (or for that matter dazed patrons of an Opium den stumbling out after the power to the building is shut down) Shut the whole damn thing down and start over..its no joke.