Google Agrees to Censor Blogs in Certain Countries
- Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:03am by
Liz Klimas
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Google's blog platform, Blogger, will censor content in specific countries while leaving it open for others to see.
Late last week Twitter announced it would block tweets in certain countries — while still allowing the rest of the world to see them — in order for it to “enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression” and prevent blocking of the tweet completely. Just a few days later, Google announced it would follow suit with a similar policy on Blogger, the company’s blog platform.
Techdows (via PC Mag) reported that bloggers using the .blogspot service outside of the United States may actually see a country-specific URL, like .blogspot.in if you were in India for example. Why? Google states:
Migrating to localized domains will allow us to continue promoting free expression and responsible publishing while providing greater flexibility in complying with valid removal requests pursuant to local law. By utilizing ccTLDs, content removals can be managed on a per country basis, which will limit their impact to the smallest number of readers. Content removed due to a specific country’s law will only be removed from the relevant ccTLD.
Google goes on to explain that if you’re visiting a blog that does not “correspond” with your current location, you will be directed to the domain associated with the country that correlates with your IP address.
Google also states that bloggers are able to request content from a specific country by using the http://[blogname].blogspot.com/ncr URL. “NCR” stands for “No Country Redirect”.
The Daily Mail reports that Blogger, purchased by Google in 2003, was banned in countries like Syria, Iran and China. Although Twitter and Google state this action will actually help spread Internet freedom, some groups are concerned over the move. The Daily Mail has more:
Internet freedom group Open Net Initiative said of Twitter’s recent policy change, “The change marks a new trend in American Internet companies bowing to the demands of authoritarian regimes.”
[...]
Tech blog Techdirt said, “If more and more companies follow the lead of Google and Twitter, as seems quite likely, it could represent the beginning of the end of the truly global Internet.”
“In its place will be an online world subject to a patchwork of local laws.”
Still, others share the similar convictions as the companies about the action to censor in specific countries because this means the blog posts and tweets will not be blocked completely as they were before.
Related: In Nov. 2011, Sen. Joseph Lieberman petitioned Google to create a function allowing people to “flag” terrorist activity or terror-supporting sentiments on the Blogger platform.
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garbagecanlogic
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 9:25pmI stopped using google over two years ago……….
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
Report Post »The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
Hmschlmom
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 3:32pmI am SO sorry to hear that. I have a Christian homeschool Mom blog on blogger, and I get a lot of hits from places where I know I will be censored. How sad that their governments fear the people having information…
Report Post »Silversmith
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 1:53pmDoes anyone think that this is not already happening here??? We’ve all seen it already.
Silversmith
Report Post »Harvey
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 2:51pmGoogle,Yahoo and even the Blaze are already doing it here.When they have to approve what you write before its posted is nothing more than censorship.Alot of the time it is never posted.
Report Post »tharpdevenport
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 3:54pmYou must be a trouble maker then, because ALL my posts are posted immediately, or only with a shorty delay based on server traffic.
Just so you understand, The Balze has about 500 to over a 1,000 comments posted everyday — they can’t personally approve each. In fact, if you’ve seen the spam posted, you know they can’t.
Report Post »JesusH.Christ
Posted on February 4, 2012 at 6:46pm@Thardevenport,
Report Post »Trouble maker??? ANYONE with a differing point of view from the prevailing swill on this web site is considered a trouble maker. I’ve been censored more times than I count on this site.
So if taking a stand against racism, intolerance, bigotry, religious dogma, and (God forbid) CENSORSHIP, then you bet your tight arse I’ma trouble maker. And proud of it.
This is AMERICA pal. Get with the program.
FlatFoot
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 1:17pmBack when Google first started getting up and running, and growing faster than anyone else on the internet could ever keep up with in their wildest dreams, they promised many things. One of those many promised things was that they would never ever ‘Censor’ their services stating that the ‘Global Internet Community’ would be united as one and ‘Freedom’ would reign — on the ‘World-Wide Web’. Google realized right away, as anyone in the internet savvy world with an ounce of common sense would, that individual countries and governments could and would attempt to stomp out the spreading fire of ‘Internet Freedom’ which included Google, Inc., and rightly so they stated that they had no control over that aspect. But Google repeatedly stated that they themselves would not censor anything or kow-tow to dictatorships and oppressive governments.
Look at them now. Google has achieved what they wanted, to reign supreme on the World-Wide Web and be obscenely wealthy, and now, in order to appease the crocodiles, they kow-tow to dictatorships and oppressive governments in order to retain their bottom line… Obscene Amounts Of Wealth And World-Wide Web Domination.
Google has become exactly that which they once reviled and copiously promised to never be and all because of nothing more, not one iota more, than the love of money.
Google has grown into and become an aberration of its former self in a great many ways — from Privacy to Censorship to Money Gluttonous Pig. Googl
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 12:37pmThere is more and more censorship in the USA. In fact…it seems you cannot even recognize this country anymorre in comparison to the freedom it had even 30 years ago. There is only one way to get our freedom back and we all know what it is.
Report Post »JesusH.Christ
Posted on February 4, 2012 at 6:57pmWhat “specifically” do you have in mind, Carnac?
Report Post »sjohn70037
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 12:20pmJust as The Blaze censors our comments on this site. Want me to prove it? Here, I’ve written a commonly used word to describe a race. One perfectly accepted word used in the 2010 US Census.
The word is *****. See the asterisks? That‘s The Blaze’s censorship.
Report Post »Weedwhacker
Posted on February 4, 2012 at 9:20amBig difference here.
Your example of censorship on The Blaze is that of a website that belongs to a private company. It is certainly within their right, not to mention their responsibility, to exclude certain types of language and certain types of posts from appearing on their website if they find them offensive.
Censorship of public airwaves or the internet is something on a quite different level.
Report Post »JesusH.Christ
Posted on February 4, 2012 at 7:21pm@SJOHN
I used the same word (rhymes with “we grow”) the other day and was censored each time in my comments. When I commented again about being censored, my comments were removed. Even though the comments were in reference to the story about the crazy Black Radio host that went postal on his guest and used the very same “uncensored” word over and over again in the video that the BLAZE provided. So your point is well made.
@WEEDWHACKER
Report Post »Censorship is Censorship no matter how you try to disguise it. If you were to consider certain forms of expression or certain words objectionable, then there wouldn’t be a whole lot left on this web site. It’s full of racist epithets, bigoted angry threats and innuendo and totally outrageous claims that are hateful and incendiary. But The Blaze let‘s it slide because it’s in keeping with their specific demographic. I don‘t fit that category so I’m at the mercy of the “Word Police” with every comment I post. Private company or not, if you provide a forum for one side to spew vitriolic garbage, then you have to allow for an opposing view. Otherwise, you might as well be in China or Iran or North Korea or Syria etc.
Arc
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 12:03pmCensorship in other countries coordinated by an American firm??????? Nothing to worry about……nothing to see here folks, now move along…..
The Fairness Doctrine ( equal time on Talk Radio
Gun Control ( Fast & Furious was never suppose to see the light of day, only the fact that US guns were turning up in criminal hands) strictly a PR ruse
School Diets No Sat Fats…….Nix the Happy Meals…….
You WILL purchase health insurance ……..just as soon as I create conditions friendly to hiring.
Tithing…………The Bible instructs you to give more if you’re rich. I thought it was 10% of everything, time, money, teaching, faith hope and charity.
Don’t worry Freedom Lovers, were’re not after you……..just your RIGHTS.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 11:51amAnd, history begins to repeat itself once again.
Ain’t it great?
Progressive minds at work. Baby steps. Let’s see how the masses excuse this one.
Report Post »Freedom Keeper
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 11:35amThe truth about Occupy Wall St. http://oleglorynews.com/2011/10/22/occupy-wall-street-the-true-agenda-exposed/
Report Post »IMPEACHBHO
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 11:30amWe already have a State media that controls the message. Control freedom of speech on the internet, and there you have it – the full oppression of communism, courtesy of our Marxist-in-chief.
Report Post »JesusH.Christ
Posted on February 4, 2012 at 6:55pmYou’re delusional.
Report Post »wifezilla
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 11:22amSo what is the best blogger alternative?
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:54amI stopped using Google a long time ago. Also there are ways around any blocks they may make. Where there is a hacker, there is a way.
Report Post »blaaaaackwoman
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:51amI bought a DVD made in Italy by the great Italian percussionist Andrea Centazzo, it’s not a bootleg DVD, and due to a similar idiotic country specific code it won’t play on Sony DVD players so I took the Sony back for a refund and ordered the cheapest DVD player from Walmart and the DVD plays fine on it.
Report Post »Tigress1
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:37amIt sounds like they want people to remain isolated. They don’t want people to see the feedback because then they will realize that they are not alone. Other people have the same thoughts, but if they cannot communicate with each other there is no way for them to organize to do something about their plight.
Report Post »Mandors
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:28amAll you “Blogger” bloggers, read your agreement, Google owns everything you write. You’d have to be a fool to blog with them.
Report Post »churchlady
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:27amWHAT?!? How on earth is this a good idea? They just threw a massive fit over censorship in America – how hypocritical! Shame on Google!!!
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:16amI’m sure with this news the 0bama Administration via Eric “The Red” Holder just sent Google an email requesting the U.S. be next in line.
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:24amIt’s already in motion here with the Patriot Act..Indefinite Detention SOPA (freedom of speech on the internet has already passed but is being held off until after the elections..does that tell you anything?..complete loss of freedom of speech..Homeland Security is already keeping dosiers on bloggers and journalists.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:37amASHESTOASHES, Yep, am already aware. Just had to toss in some of my infantile sarcasm. We really do need a president along with a congress with enough brass to do away with such laws, Homeland Security as it is put together currently, and I can think of a lot of other three letter word agencies that can go as well. TSA, EPA, and ATF (Troop) come to mind immediately. This will not happen any time soon even if the Republicans take the White House this year. I don’t even think that Ron Paul would attempt to take on my shopping list. No, I do not advocate Ron Paul for anything except maybe Secretary of the Treasury, and that would only be with plenty of adult supervision.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 3, 2012 at 10:39amThree letter word? Duh-huh, that should just be three letter agencies. Got to stop ‘proof’ reading after I tag Reply.
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