Shocking Surge in Government Orders to Censor Google Content

Governments around the world have struggled to maintain authoritarian controls during the rise of the information age. Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook have decentralized media consumption, making it more difficult for governments to control information. User-generated content sites like YouTube expose police corruption on a daily basis. When most citizens have access to smartphones with video cameras that can upload content directly to the web, there is simply no way that corrupt government officials can cover their tracks to the degree that they could a decade ago.

However, this has led to two new problems. Governments are trying, more and more with each passing day, to censor content and gain control over the internet. Additionally, authoritarian do-gooders worldwide are working tirelessly to steal all the private data found on social networking websites. The Guardian is reporting on shocking news from the latest Google Transparency Report, noting that requests by governments to censor content have surged to record levels. What’s behind the sudden increase in government attempts to restrict free speech online?

Google Fights Back

Unlike many other online services, Google has recently escalated its efforts to defend customers against unwarranted privacy intrusions. Earlier this month, Google began fighting back against unconstitutional National Security Letters, issued under the USA PATRIOT Act.

This is an extraordinary decision, because most private companies will bend over backwards to cooperate with organizations like the NSA, FBI, and CIA, fearing legal consequences. That said, there is a growing demand for online services that won’t hand over private data without seeing a warrant first.

On the Free Speech Front

According to the above-linked Guardian article, Google noted a 26% increase in content censorship requests by governments in the second half of 2012. In that six-month period, 2,285 government officials requested the censorship of 24,179 pieces of Google content, including blog posts, YouTube videos, and search results. An official Google blog post noted, “In more places than ever, we’ve been asked by governments to remove political content that people post on our services. In this particular time period, we received court orders in several countries to remove blog posts criticizing government officials or their associates.”

Whenever possible, Google has been fighting these rulings in court, attempting to preserve freedom of speech. In some cases, the company will compromise by taking reasonable steps like age-restricting certain YouTube videos, for example, while refusing to take down the content. This has helped to deescalate some tense political situations in developing countries that have yet to cultivate a culture of free speech. Still, it’s nice to see Google deploying its legal team around the world to protect its customers’ legitimate free speech rights.

Google has recently stepped up its game with regard to the protection of customer privacy and freedom of speech. Additionally, the Google Transparency Report now gives us an understanding of the scope of government efforts to infringe on citizens. Presently, Google’s report notes, “As we’ve gathered and released more data over time, it’s become increasingly clear that the scope of government attempts to censor content on Google services has grown.”

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