Google removes popular app that removed Chinese apps from users’ phones (2020)
Summary: An app that allowed users to moderate content residing on their own phones was given the boot by Google after it was determined to be in violation of Play […]
Google refuses to honor questionable requests for removal of “defamatory” content (2019)
Summary: Google has long been responsive to court orders demanding the removal of content, if they’re justified. Google has fought back against dubious orders originating from “right to be forgotten” demands from […]
Automated copyright takedown bot goes haywire (2018)
Summary: For years, Google and YouTube have included a trusted flagger program by which certain entities that have shown they “are particularly effective at notifying YouTube” of content violations are given more […]
Google’s ad policies inadvertently block religious organizations from advertising on YouTube (2019)
Summary: Google’s ad service offers purchasers access to millions of users, including those viewing videos on YouTube. But its policies — meant to prevent abuse, fraud, harassment, or targeting of […]
Senator asks YouTube to block Al Qaeda videos (2008)
Summary: In 2008, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, chaired by then Senator Joe Lieberman, produced a report entitled: “Violent Islamist Extremism,The Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorist Threat.” […]
Google “removes” German residences from Street View by request (2010)
Summary: Google’s Street View is a powerful mapping tool that allows users to visit places they’ll possibly never be able to visit and allows local users to see homes and […]
Google’s new photo app tags photos of Black people as ‘gorillas’ (2015)
Summary: In May 2015, Google rolled out its “Google Photos” service. This service allowed users to store their images in Google’s cloud and share them with other users. Unlike some other […]
Google refuses a law enforcement agency demand to remove a video depicting police brutality (2011)
YouTube’s refusal to remove a video depicting policy violence raises questions about YouTube’s responsibility as an archive of public interest content, and also the limits of its ability to challenge […]
Stopping malware in search leads to unsupported claims of bias (2007)
Lack of transparency into Google’s process for labeling compromised websites leads to criticism about bias. Google responds to address webmasters’ concerns. Summary: As detailed in a thorough oral history in Wired back […]
Dealing with misinformation in search (2004)
Google search results for “jew” leading to blatantly antisemitic website (Jewwatch). Summary: Google’s biggest early innovation in search was that it used inbound links as a tool for determining the […]