November 07, 2004

Is censorship Evil? Google, apparently, is censoring the Web - and not just in China. MeFi thread, AnandTech thread, Google image search for "Abu Gharaib", and the equivalent Yahoo search.

Unacceptable, in my opinion. And now I'm going to begin looking for a non-American search engine, based on open source software, which is probably the best way of stopping this shit.

posted by Skrik 20 years ago
  • Of course, I had to misspell "Ghraib" in the post, but it's not misspelt in the search string.
  • "censoring the web" and "being pathetically slow to update current event imagaes" is not the same thing. Next issue.
  • Funny, then, that Google has no problem finding pictures of the US presidential election results.
  • Shame on Google.
  • In an attempt to get an answer from them, either way: Google Answers.
  • Skirk, those US presidential election results pictures are also really old. As far as I can see they all relate to the 2000 campaign. The most recent one that I saw relates to the capture of Sadam Hussein. In the mefi thread, peole commented that there were nothing but old pictures and recent pictures from news websites.
  • What Dreadnought said. Next issue.
  • *sigh*
  • The plot thickens...
  • Note: even if it's true, it's not censorship.
  • FWIW, if you turn Safesearch off, you get plenty of prisoner abuse photos (at least on the Yahoo string).
  • ah, or maybe that was the point and I just missed it......
  • Yeah, I provided the Yahoo search to show what is available Out There.
  • I am very struck by the difference in the Yahoo and Google results. Google.ca search string "Abu Ghraib prison abuse" gave exactly two images, none of which are the well-known ones. Interesting. I don't like it...
  • Damn it, meant to say "safe search" was off and still, only two images.
  • Note: even if it's true, it's not censorship. Translation: If its censorship, it isn't censorship. Davidmsc, Orwell's memory hole. Orwell's memory hole, Davidmsc. That said, it will be interesting to see the response (or lack of one) that Google provides on the subject. I'm reserving judgement for a few days until I get an answer/nonanswer.
  • Alex Reynolds, I think davidmsc was making the point that only governments can censor. /semantics
  • Not at all. Private information companies (newpapers, etc.) censor their content all the time. It is also known as an Editorial Board. /semantics
  • With the censorship that Google participates in within China, I think they walk a fine line between wanting to be the dominant search product and actually being able to pull it off in the real world. Nonetheless, clarification of their "don't be evil" mantra would be useful, at least with respect to being clear about where they perform censorship, why and how decisions are made. Further, if this censorship policy has now spread to coverage of US events, I'd be interested in that as well. I imagine others are, as well, which is why there is interest in this thread.
  • Which is to say, ultimately, I am interested in how Google runs its equivalent of the newsroom's Editorial Board.
  • does this mean that when i'm searching for porn my results are 6 to 12 months old???? this truly sucks. no wonder i it's always the same old shemales.
  • Google isn't censoring, they just suck at updating their images
  • Further proof of incompentence over malice: The third link (NSF much) in a normal Google search for Abu Ghraib.
  • Hey, annekenstein, you're mismanaging your multiple IDs. Remember to login and out next time you astroturf a thread!
  • Further proof of incompetence over malice: a response to Slashdot a site which also posted this stupid claim of censorship.
  • If anything google has opened themselves up to criticism after admitting to 'adjusting' their search engine to suit the chinese governments wishes. Problem is google does update the images more often than they admit but it is very haphazard. *adjusts tinfoil sorting hat*
  • "Hey, annekenstein, you're mismanaging your multiple IDs. Remember to login and out next time you astroturf a thread!" I don't know what this means, exactly. As far as I know, I have one MomkeyFilter ID, which I use on two computers. What does "astroturf a thread" mean? What am I being accused of?
  • google also purposely 'censors' a few other topics... scientology and holocaust denial -related pages, iirc.
  • does this mean that when i'm searching for porn my results are 6 to 12 months old? You look at baby pr0n? You sick fuck.
  • It censors Scientology? Really?
  • Microsoft Corp., Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have breached the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in colluding with China to censor the Internet, Amnesty International said on Thursday.