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AffPapa Exclusive: Georg Heinrich on the Threat of Fake DMCA Claims
Only half of 2026 has passed, but if there’s one industry that has truly felt the pressure of search rankings, it’s iGaming. Publishers and affiliates alike have been navigating increased volatility, with most ranking drops blamed on algorithm updates or SEO issues. However, Georg Heinrich’s latest research points to another possible cause: fraudulent copyright claims.
In this AffPapa exclusive, we sat down with Heinrich to discuss what many consider one of this year’s biggest SEO challenges, what led him to investigate it, and what his findings could mean for publishers and affiliates.
Georg, what first led you to investigate this issue?
We’ve seen bogus DMCA claims before. The first was back in 2019 from Russia. Back then, I believe we received notifications in Search Console and saw big traffic spikes, so we realized what was happening quickly.
This time, the behavior changed. We noticed a total loss of traffic on smaller pages, yet Search Console still marked them as “indexed.” Initially, we suspected an algorithm update. But as it spread to more pages over the months, we became suspicious.
The reality was sinister. Google was blocking the content due to fraudulent claims without sending a single notice. We discovered the truth only by manually running site:URL searches and checking the SERPs. Google essentially black-holed our content while showing a different status in our own dashboard.
How widespread do you believe this problem is, and is it limited to iGaming?
Google de-indexes pages based on copyright notices submitted through the Lumen Database, a project of Harvard University. The issue is that Lumen acts as a passive repository. It doesn’t verify the claimant or the copyrighted material. It simply forwards the claim to Google.
To comply with U.S. law, Google often defaults to blocking content immediately. They wait 14 business days for court action before restoring it, but that timer only starts if the publisher submits a formal counterclaim through Google’s system. If you don’t know the game, you stay blocked forever.
By monitoring the lists in the Lumen Database, I’ve seen that these fake claims are almost always issued in bulk. They aren’t targeting one site. They are carpet-bombing entire lists of websites. Currently, the YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) category is the primary victim, but mainstream news sites are being hit too. Most of them probably don’t even know they’re being targeted yet.
What kind of response have you received since publishing your findings?
I’ve had productive exchanges with colleagues on LinkedIn, but we are still waiting for a major industry outcry. That said, the needle is moving. My study of the fake copyright claims system has caught the attention of prominent SEO journalists such as Glenn Gabe and Barry Schwartz.
I’m convinced it’s only a matter of time before these fake copyright claims reach the mainstream. It is a terrifyingly effective method of sabotaging competitors, and I believe it will inevitably expand into other industries.
What needs to change to prevent this from continuing?
First, audit constantly. Don’t trust the Search Console dashboard. Run manual site: URL checks on your core money pages regularly.
Second, build the machinery. You need someone on your team who is capable of handling counterclaims. It’s not legally complex, but it becomes incredibly time-intensive when you’re hit by a wave of fraudulent claims.
Third, know when to escalate. If you find yourself stuck in a processing loop, where Google acknowledges the claim but refuses to act, stop relying on automated web forms. Hire a U.S.-based attorney to issue a formal demand. You need a human on the other side of the screen.
Where do you think this issue goes from here, and what changes would you like to see?
The most important thing to mention is this: the Lumen Database will not respond to any queries. They hide behind their role as a repository of information.
The real scandal, if I may say so, is that Google’s system is fundamentally broken for two reasons.
First, Google does not notify the publisher when a webpage has been removed from the index. On the contrary, it can even hide that fact. Sometimes Google sends information to Search Console, but the notice often refers to an older claim that is still stuck in the system, or it doesn’t correspond to the Lumen notice that is actually blocking the page.
Second, there is the issue of stacked claims. It is not just one fake copyright claim. Fraudsters submit multiple claims over several months against the same webpages. Even if a publisher successfully submits a counterclaim, the next fake claim immediately takes effect, and the page is blocked again.
Even worse, if a publisher submits multiple counterclaims at the same time, which is often necessary when several fake claims exist, Google may treat those submissions as spam and stop processing the counterclaims altogether.
Google has been aware of this for a long time. It simply hasn’t been a priority for the company to invest the effort required to fix it. By allowing this to continue, Google is causing verifiable economic damage to legitimate businesses. I believe we are approaching the point where a class-action lawsuit becomes possible.
In SEO, what you can’t see can hurt you the most. Whether it’s algorithm updates, fake copyright claims, or new industry trends, staying informed is often the strongest competitive advantage.
Want to dive deeper? Explore more iGaming SEO insights right away.
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