Google Isn't Even Hiding Its Censorship Anymore

For such a long time Google's code of conduct motto was a simple phrase: don't be evil. Back in April 2018, Google removed that from it's updated code of conduct. And if you have done any reading into how Google operates, then you would probably agree that Google checked out of the mantra years ago.

_{image from pixabay}

In a clear case of political censorship, The Guardian reports that Google has complied with a demand from Russian officials to remove adverts from YouTube from an opposition of the Kremlin Alexei Navalny which were opposing Putin raising the retirement age.

Quoting the article:

Russian officials sent a letter to Google last month asking it to block Navalny’s videos because it said they were illegal under the country’s election laws, which bar political campaigning 24 hours before elections.

In a statement to The Guardian:

“We consider all justified appeals from state bodies. We also require advertisers to act in accordance with the local law and our advertising policies”

It is worth noting that this is the first time Google has complied with a request like this before, which signals a turning point in how Google operates. Any company willing to run a heavily censored version of its product to break into the Chinese market and ignore human rights abuses and a controlling government clearly values money over liberty.

Google Isn't Even Hiding It's Censorship Anymore

For such a long time Google's code of conduct motto was a simple phrase: don't be evil. Back in April 2018, Google removed that from it's updated code of conduct. And if you have done any reading into how Google operates, then you would probably agree that Google checked out of the mantra years ago.

In a clear case of political censorship, The Guardian reports that Google has complied with a demand from Russian officials to remove adverts from YouTube from the opposition of the Kremlin Alexei Navalny which were opposing Putin raising the retirement age.

Quoting the article:

Russian officials sent a letter to Google last month asking it to block Navalny’s videos because it said they were illegal under the country’s election laws, which bar political campaigning 24 hours before elections.

In a statement to The Guardian:

“We consider all justified appeals from state bodies. We also require advertisers to act in accordance with the local law and our advertising policies”

It is worth noting that this is the first time Google has complied with a request like this before, which signals a turning point in how Google operates. Any company willing to run a heavily censored version of its product to break into the Chinese market and ignore human rights abuses and a controlling government clearly values money over liberty.

Google has become an internet monopoly, it has no true equal in the search space, but also seems to be creating monopolies in other spaces such as advertising, robotics, artificial intelligence.

This is what happens when you allow an uncontained power to grow beyond any kind of regulatory means, Google has as much influence and power as a government. We have gone well beyond the point of being able to control Google, it has too much money and reach.