We recently discovered that Google’s ad-serving network is blocking its ads from appearing on a story we published almost exactly three years ago.
Google declared that the article violated its terms of service because it contained “Dangerous or derogatory content,” which it defines as anything that:
- incites hatred against, promotes discrimination of, or disparages an individual or group on the basis of their race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or other characteristic that is associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization.
- harasses, intimidates, or bullies an individual or group of individuals.
- threatens or advocates for harm to oneself or others.
- relates to a current, major health crisis and contradicts authoritative, scientific consensus.
- exploits others through extortion.
Pretty raunchy stuff, in other words.
So what was the article that it flagged? “Trump’s Top-10 Triumphs: A Last Look At A Remarkable Presidency.”
We are not kidding.
That editorial begins thusly:
President Donald Trump became an ex-president on Wednesday, as Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States. We wish him nothing but the best. But before we let Trump go, we thought we’d review some of his biggest accomplishments while in office. We call them ‘triumphs,’ because they were all big achievements executed against great odds.
It goes on to say: “Trump’s performance in just four years was nothing short of remarkable. He promulgated dozens, if not hundreds, of successful policies that other presidents talked about, but never secured.” It then lists 10 policy victories:
- Slashed taxes on individuals and businesses.
- Forged peace in the Mideast.
- Created Operation Warp Speed.
- Deregulated the nation’s economy.
- Got rid of Obamacare’s “individual mandate.”
- Restored Supreme Court balance.
- Forced NATO to reform.
- Encouraged U.S. energy independence.
- Reformed immigration and built the border wall.
- Withdrew from the Paris Climate Deal.
We concluded that editorial with what turned out to be a very prescient piece of advice for Biden: “For the new president, a friendly word of advice: Your success or failure in the first year of your term will largely depend on how many of Trump’s successes you let stand, and how many you try to undo.”
There is not a single word of disparagement toward anyone, including Biden, and we defy anyone to find anything in this editorial that even comes close to Google’s “dangerous and derogatory” label.
Among the “dangerous and derogatory” material that Google prohibits is any content that challenges the accepted wisdom around COVID, or as the tech giant puts it, content that “relates to a current, major health crisis and contradicts authoritative, scientific consensus.”
Google has used that definition to justify demonetizing our editorials attacking COVID mask mandates, the lockdowns, and other intrusive government mandates — which were contrary to the “scientific consensus” but turned out to be correct.
But the only reference to COVID in that editorial was to praise Trump for accelerating the development of COVID vaccines, a success that the “authoritative, scientific consensus” said would never happen. As we noted: “The vaccine critics were dead wrong, and Trump’s push may well end up saving hundreds of thousands of lives in coming years.”
Even in the comments section, most either agreed or said we missed policy successes. One complained that we wished Biden well.
Does Google now consider praising Trump as inciting hatred, bullying, advocating harm or extorting?
Our guess is that the answer to this question is yes. Anything to keep him out of office again. But we’ll never know, because Google’s Goebbels never responds to requests for more information.
— Written by the I&I Editorial Board
Just like totalitarians, cannt let the truth thru for all to evaluate. And “useful idiots” cannt see it for what it is. Just moving along the Tytler cycle to communism, socialism, totalitarianism, whatever you want to call it but certainly not what our founders had intended.
Goebbels got his propaganda techniques from the WOODROW WILSON ADMINISTRATION!! The (so called) democrat party has been at this crap for a long time!
The least that should happen is Google lose all their tax breaks for this. The best that could happen is the DoJ break up Alphabet (Google’s owner) just like they did Ma Bell.
Periodically I get a big red box courtesy of Google comes up when I log into your site, telling me that it is dangerous and might hurt my computer or damage my brain.
To add insult to injury, it has the damn gall to instruct me as to how to send them money…
Clearly, you folks are getting very close to the target, keep up the good work!
If that’s so, I would urge you to format your hard drive and start over with a clean operating system as free of any Google products as you can manage.
The original article mentions the “Chinese Virus”. That is racist terminology, full stop. That’s why that article was flagged. No duh.
“Chinese virus” is “racist”? Seriously?
Given that (a) the virus came from a lab in China and (b) the word “racist” has no meaning that doesn’t translate to throwing your skirts over your head and running in circles, which of the following is true:
(a) your post is purely satire
(b) you believe you are offering an honest explanation of indefensible “terms of service”
(c) you’re a gaslighting troll who’s at least ten or twelve hoaxes out of date?
Keep pretending, but truth will out.
First know, I’m anti-censorship, I’m a big sticks and stones, get over yourself kind of liberal. We exist, witness Bill Maher. It’s disingenuous of both yourself and the editorial board of Issues and Insights to pretend not to know the following two things. 1. Google censors are college educated. 2. A majority of college educated Americans would find the term “Chinese virus” disparaging and/or discriminatory. Me, I don’t care, I’m a former Marine and professional shock comedian. Free speech wise, I’ll go places you would fear to tread, including, apparently, outside of my own political tribe’s echo chamber.
Which is why people shouldn’t use Google. Particularly when there are plenty of alternatives available…
In paragraph 3 of the original article Covid 19 was referred to as the “Chinese virus.”. It’s obvious, at least to me, that this violates the first paragraph of Googles terms of service. I wonder that it’s not also obvious to your editorial board.
use https://duckduckgo.com/ instead of Google
Strange ?
The Americans are labeling gooooogle-ers as Upland Game .
Thank God people like this exist to save us morally inferior peons from thinking for ourselves. Knowing that we cannot form our own opinions, they take it upon themselves to save us. The fact that we watch these very people, and their minions destroy cities, and murder innocent people all over a lie should never get in the way of our right to freedom of speech, and thought. These self appointed speech police belong somewhere, just not America. They should be sent where they would be appreciated, China and North Korea are always looking for good followers.
This editorial led me to the earlier triumphs achieved by President Trump (and which his fellow citizens benefited from). He had so many accomplishments that I overlooked or forgot many of them.
If honest history ever gets posted (and it won’t if Google editors ever write it), Trump will go down as one of the greatest President’s the US has ever had. He (and his administration) had an amazingly successful Presidency.
It’s just a shame that-like a billboard that blares forth its ad on the expressway-many people just won’t notice his achievements as they toddle on down the road. The media censors (like the people at Google) are the reasons why.
As for those at Google: You were right to denominate them as “brats.” You should have added, “self-righteous, sanctimonious and hypocritical brats.”
@Fred Roellig
>1. Google censors are college educated. 2. A majority of college educated Americans would find the term “Chinese virus” disparaging and/or discriminatory.
As for 1, we already knew that. Who cares?
As for 2, since the idea that a descriptive statement of known reality is found by the “college educated” to be “disparaging and/or discriminatory,” it calls into question the intelligence and judgement of these “college educated” individuals.
Moreover, I don’t give a damn what these people think. Reality will reassert itself even in the face of Google’s efforts on behalf of the college educated useful idiots to silence it.
Praising Operation Warp Speed is indeed dangerous.
I’ve read Fred Roellig’s responses and it is obvious that they are true. For instance, he is-obviously-a shock comedian.
What he replied is both shocking and hysterically funny.