Google? GOOOOGLE!
February 19, 2006 12:00 PM   Subscribe

Not for American Consumption? We've heard the stories of Google censoring results in China, but is America being "protected" from a few pieces of undesirable content? They've bowed to pressure before, could they be doing such things again? (First link results differ for American visitors)
posted by Saydur (19 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: "When you upload video to google video, you select the countries in which the video is allowed to play." case closed.



 
hmmm ... you can see the thumbnail here and play it, but when you click on it, it brings us to the page you've linked to

strange
posted by pyramid termite at 12:05 PM on February 19, 2006


this is worth a look ... a building demolition goes somewhat wrong
posted by pyramid termite at 12:11 PM on February 19, 2006


Well, I'm in Canada, so when I clicked on it I was able to see the video.

The video itself isn't nasty or anything so I don't know why Americans wouldn't be allowed to see it. The thumbnails pretty much show you what happens in the video; video only adds the kaboom noise and motion. Certainly things like the Abu Ghraib pix or the Nick Berg video are far, far worse.

For the record, when I was viewing the Super Bowl ads on Google video I was able to see all but the Nationwide ads. Clicking on those got me a "video not available in your country" thing then.
posted by Zinger at 12:11 PM on February 19, 2006


I can see it in Canada. Are you saying that visitors from the States can't? What shows up on the page?
posted by loquax at 12:11 PM on February 19, 2006


Don't be stupid.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 12:13 PM on February 19, 2006


Hmm, saw the video from Canada, and here is a link from a U.S. proxy which says "This video is not playable in your country."
posted by bobo123 at 12:13 PM on February 19, 2006


It says, in place of the video. "This video is not playable in your country."

The thumbnail version pyramid termite linked to works just fine. I don't understand why it's censored. It's just very bothersome that it would be, and I only hope it's a horrible fluke.
posted by Saydur at 12:14 PM on February 19, 2006


When you upload video to google video, you select the countries in which the video is allowed to play.
posted by null terminated at 12:14 PM on February 19, 2006




Google has nothing to do with the censoring. It is decided by whoever uploaded the video. They could be doing it to be jerks or possibly if they don't have the right to distribute it in the US.
posted by The Cardinal at 12:27 PM on February 19, 2006


Just says it's not viewable in my country, but it does work when linked from myspace.

Odd.
posted by delmoi at 12:29 PM on February 19, 2006


Aside from Google Video, do web results, images, or anything else get filtered? I mean, aside from the NSFW images when that option is turned on.
posted by stevis at 12:29 PM on February 19, 2006


When you upload video to google video, you select the countries in which the video is allowed to play.

pwn3d!
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 12:31 PM on February 19, 2006


I'm currently in France. It plays for me.
posted by darkstar at 12:48 PM on February 19, 2006


in the upper right corner, says: put on site, and you get this

which, when pasted in gives that which says can not be viewed!
posted by Postroad at 12:56 PM on February 19, 2006


OK, seriously. I'm bothered by Google's China censorship as much as anyone, but this is just scaremongering. Besides how, as has been stated, it's the uploader who selects what countries can view a video, bringing up the Clambake thing? They didn't remove links to Xenu.net, they removed *direct* links to material on that site which Scientology claimed was copyrighted.

If Google had a direct link to Metallica videos, would they be "bowing to pressure" to remove links to those? Just because the Scientologists are a bunch of dangerous nutballs, doesn't mean they don't have a legal right to protect their copyrights. (or that Google doesn't have a real legal obligation not to link to infringing material)

Come on, seriously... Put pressure on Google for the things they ARE doing, but don't start trying to invent new scandals for the sake of rilling people up. It just makes you look like a jerk.
posted by InnocentBystander at 1:03 PM on February 19, 2006


we get shit censored by the DMCA all the time here in the US. But you can't really blame google i guess cause itd be fat lawsuits left and right for them.
posted by Tryptophan-5ht at 1:04 PM on February 19, 2006


garbage post? GAAAAAARBAAAAGE POOOOOST!
posted by shmegegge at 1:51 PM on February 19, 2006


Alright, it slipped my mind that the uploader can choose to censor the video from certain countries. I was worried because it's no longer unthinkable for such things to be censored in the US.
posted by Saydur at 2:02 PM on February 19, 2006


« Older Land of Plenty   |   all kinds of stuff Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments