This is not the first time Google has censored
such material. In October of last year
we revealed how Google Video re-imposed a crass
censorship policy to intentionally stifle the growth of
Alex Jones' Terror Storm documentary in an attempt
to prevent it from reaching tens of millions of people.
Google covertly edited viewer statistics and
blocked the film from entering its popular categories.
It is only when a film enters these prominent
categories that it really begins to spread like wildfire
and enter a cycle of exponential multiplication.
Figures that were heading towards 500,000 views for different
uploads of Terrorstorm on its release were suddenly
switched back to the low hundreds and tens of thousands.
The number of viewer submitted comments remained the same
but the viewership numbers were clearly and unfairly doctored.
After being bombarded with complaints Google admitted it
had altered the figures but claimed it was a systemwide
error, despite the fact that other films seemed not to have
been affected. Astonishingly after promising it would not
happen again the same thing happened the following week
as Terrorstorm's viewing figures were again reset.
Google's
censorship policies in China and even those
directed against US websites that are mildly
critical of China prove that the company that
was founded on the principle "don't be evil,"
is slowly beginning to resemble the very controlling Big
Brother image it claimed to despise.
The Google help page used to state that it did not censor
search results. This policy
has now changed and Google now carried that
proviso that, "in response to local laws, regulations,
or policies," it may censor certain content.
Google's reputation was also somewhat tainted late last
year with exclusive revelations that it was seeded
with intelligence funding and works in total
cooperation with the CIA according to former agent Robert
David Steele.