Does Google Support Free Speech?
Internet giant, Google, is facing legal action in British courts because it will not allow adverts for websites which contain “abortion and religious-related content”.
The well-known search engine blocked a pro-life ad for The Christian Institute’s website, christian.org.uk, because it is a “religious” website. Lawyers for the Institute say this is unlawful discrimination. Good for them I say, but it will cost them money to take on the might of Google and it’s vast wealth.
I assume Google only objects to abortion and religious-related content if they are together. Google is happy to allow adverts for non-religious sites with views on abortion. What a strange values Google has!
Google also allows adverts for pornographic sites as long as the sex is consensual and does not involve children or animals. Yet Google banned the Christian Institute’s advert for “inappropriate content”, saying “Google policy does not permit the advertisement of websites that contain ‘abortion and religion-related content’. Strange!
Websites selling knuckle-dusters and ouija boards as well as dating sites designed for married people who want to have affairs are advertised on Google.
Mike Judge, Head of Communications at The Christian Institute, said:
“For Google to feature ads like these when at the same time they ban our ad because we are ‘religious’ shows a warped set of values.
“To insinuate that religious groups are not factual on the issue of abortion is a huge insult to religious people across the globe.
“This is not a debate about the rights and wrongs of abortion. It is about free speech. You can be pro-abortion and still recognise that Google is acting unfairly.
“The real test of free speech is whether you allow those you disagree with to have their say. If you only allow your friends to promote their view, that is no free speech at all.”
You can support the Christian Institute’s defence fund by following this link.
What a shame, Google started out with such high values, yet it wasn’t long before they were cooperating with the Chinese government in their censoring of access to the internet for Chinese citizens. Easier to start with high values than maintain them.
Timothy Barton said:
Do you recommend an alternative search engine?
graham said:
Hi Tim, I like Google. I have used it for years as a search engine and think the extra things they do are great, googlemail, google docs, picassa, etc.
I suppose that is why I hate is so much when they do something so bad like their censorship of things they don’t like. I say ‘they’, I wonder who made the decision, and if it came from the top.
John said:
I think Google have made a serious misjudgment, what they have done is inexcusable.