back to article Google tuts at gov caginess with Transparency Report

Google is spotlighting governments that don’t play nice with the all-seeing search giant, by releasing a so-called “Transparency Report”. Google quickly fell into line with China recently by halting a redirect of Google.cn visitors to the ad broker’s Hong Kong servers, after Beijing officials threatened to pull the plug on …

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  1. jake Silver badge

    I got yer "traffic disruption" right 'ere ...

    All of goo-space is still in my DENY tables ... It's not only a good idea, it should be the law.

  2. SlabMan

    Hypocrites

    Dear Google -

    take your US-centric idea of what constitutes free-expression, marinade in a spoonful of 'do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do', top with a generous helping of free-market capitalism, drizzle with privacy leakage, half-bake it, and then - SHOVE IT IN YOUR FLIPPING CAKEHOLE!

    Yours faithfully - The Rest of the World

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Transparency as weapon

    Let's see, that is a Google controlled metric, related to a topic where Google itself isn't exactly a shining example (what were they planning to do with that WiFi data?).

    Next step: full disclosure of people that Google doesn't like?

    If it wasn't Google I'd be interested in the idea, but (a) there are plenty of institutes out there that do this properly with established metrics and (b) it's getting increasingly harder not to suspect ulterior motives when Google gets back onto the "do not evil" horse.

  4. myhandle
    Stop

    Precogs

    You mean because of the "recorded future" company ?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-jacobson/google-and-cia-invest-in_b_664525.html

  5. Ian Michael Gumby
    Flame

    Translation of 'Do No Evil'

    Google has the right to believe what they believe. However, its a bit disingenuous to cry foul and claim governments are doing evil because they censor Google provided content.

    So is it evil for the German government to censor Google links that may reference neo-nazi hate groups and fascist memorabilia that is sold around the world yet is illegal in Germany? (And for a good reason.)

    The true meaning to 'Do No Evil' isn't a statement of Google not doing evil but those around them are doing 'evil' by doing anything which may be detrimental to Google's best interest. After all because anything good for Google must be good for all of man kind.

    The flame is for Google. They truly are evil.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    ooh the irony

    ...as I sit here mulling a Google AdSense contract that basically is a giant "fuck you buddy" to the concept of transparency...

  7. The Other Steve
    Terminator

    Quote Should Read :

    "We act every day to maximise our profits. Free expression and access to information mean fuck all to us as long as we can make a buck"

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Heart

    The trouble with precogs

    is finding one that doesn't walk across the street to avoid you...

  9. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Joke

    Google

    We do what pays.

    It pays *very* well.

    1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Happy

      A down vote?

      Has one of the oompahs had a sense of humor bypass?

  10. Christopher Cowan

    Government interference

    Had a look at the UK transparency report and the government has interfered with freedom by making 1343 data request and 48 removal requests. The government even used the courts to force Goggle to remove blogs and videos from YouTube! Or maybe it was people libeled or who had copyright material posted on YouTube who went to court because Google didn't want to act responsibly. Googles transparency might be more transparent if they gave the reasons why these items were removed.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Transparency on Google's terms.

    Dear Google,

    If you love transparency so much then open up your AdSense and PageRank algorithms for the entire world to review. If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear, right? If you are doing something that you wouldn’t want everyone else to see then you shouldn’t be doing it…right?

    AKA: Shut the hell up you hypocritical halfwits. Get off your high horses and stick to running your damned ad agency.

    Greedy bastards.

    1. The Other Steve

      Yeah, but ...

      "If you love transparency so much then open up your AdSense and PageRank algorithms for the entire world to review. If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear, right?"

      Erm, but they /do/ have something to hide, the AdSense and PageRank algos are the core IP that generate their profits. There is no benefit to them in opening that up, and frankly no benefit to everyone else either, since once we know the secret sauce Google will be gamed so hard it will become useless.

  12. TerryAcky

    Just more G**gle b*llshit.

    It's quoted elesewhere that David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer said whilst talking about this, "That's why we act every day to maximize free expression and access to information. Free expression is one of our core values. We believe that more information means more choice, more freedom and ultimately more power for the individual,"

    What he really means is "Every day we dream up more ways for Google to access your personal data and monetise it. Omnipotence is our motivation. We know that more access to your data means more money, more power and ultimately world domination for us. We tell you lies and more lies and you just lap it up. We are Google. We are Legion."

    @ 'The Other Steve': You say, '...once we know the secret sauce Google will be gamed so hard it will become useless.' And you think that is bad because...?!?!!!

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