Google "Blacklisting" .co.cc Addresses?

[squidgelet10]

Greetings each.
My colleague set up four separate websites with a company offering free webspace and using .co.cc suffixes, purely because they are free.
It now appears that dear old Granny Google has stopped displaying these addresses in her search results. I am not sure if all the other search engines have followed suit: Lycos hasn't.
Does anyone know what might be behind Google's thinking, please?
I have a theory, but want to know what others "in the know" know.
Be good!
Cheers.

[rojash]

From Wikipedia:
"Suggestions the co.cc site pops up for free domain names to register include "bestantivir" and "autoloan," belying its true use - the creation of spam domains. Step-by-step instructions for spammers to use free hosting services like Blogger, Windows Live, and Google Apps for Nonprofits are included on its homepage, under the heading "Mapping with co.cc".

Due to the large use by website spammers of subdomains from co.cc, in July 2011 Google removed the over 11 million .co.cc websites from its search results. This had no impact on other .cc websites"

[squidgelet10]

Thanks for that, rojash. :-)
I had an idea that there might be some possible illegal usage going on ie "dodgy dealing" etc, so your research seems to confirm this to some extent albeit in an entirely separate area.
You're a star!
xxx