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Government Censorship? Google’s Got Your Back

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There’s a lot of crazy stuff going on in the world right now. Look no further than the Occupy ___ (fill in the blank) protests taking place all around the world. While I don’t want to get into any political debates (this is after all, only an Android blog), many of these protesters have been capturing videos of alleged police brutality using their Android powered handsets and quickly uploading them onto YouTube.

If you think the U.S. government and various law enforcement agencies are happy about this, well — they’re not. Apparently, Google has received over 757 content removal requests for items on Google’s servers from services like YouTube. The information was revealed as part of Google’s biannual Transparency Report. Google’s said in their report,

We received a request from a local law enforcement agency to remove YouTube videos of police brutality, which we did not remove. Separately, we received requests from a different local law enforcement agency for removal of videos allegedly defaming law enforcement officials. We did not comply with those requests, which we have categorized in this Report as defamation requests.

I should note, although these requests occurred between January and June (before many of the Occupy protests), I imagine these take down requests will sky rocket after some of the things I’ve seen today posted to YouTube. Say what you will about Google, when it comes to government censorship, it’s nice to see they’ve got our back.

[TheRegisterUK via Gizmodo]

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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66 Comments

  1. Yeah . ..I agree with Google, they should not take the videos down. Because, anyone who is not playing dumb or is not dumb, can see that some of these videos show beatings on those who needed to get…beat. But, this all depends on how much of these videos are being shown…

    1. While every side has their story, censorship never sits right with me. Especially on the internet.

      1. Amen. We should all be able to form our own opinions formed on un-adulterated research. To bad that rarely happens.

      2. Yeah, but when you’re never wrong, like The_ATL_Guy, then every argument against you should be removed from the internet. To save your opposition from looking dumb. It’s doing them a favor, really.

    2. That dude and the infamous, “dont tase me bro” was CLASSIC.
      Perfect example of why you DONT STEP UP TO A COP.

  2. All these videos do is make the law enforcement look like the “bad guy” and the protesters as the good guys. All these occupy protesters don’t even have permits. That’s law #1 they’re breaking. I really dont have a stance on the uploaded videos, i do have one though for the Occupy fiasco.

    1. Yeah, but when there are REAL instances of police brutality (not related to the Occupy stuff) getting removal requests, it’s nice to see Google sticking to their guns.

      I don’t think our government should censor the internet and the stance Google is taking is commendable

      1. The reports were on scene as the Atlanta police thankfully kicked the hippies out of the park they were “occupying”.
        Of course some retard yelled, “police brutality” while the cameras were rolling yet there was not police brutality occurring.
        i do agree with you though that there are certainly real instances of police brutality but they are few and FAR BETWEEN.

        1. I mean, I don’t think every cop is bad — it’s just when you capture one bad one on camera, it makes them all look bad, ya know?

          1. I didnt take your comments to mean that you think cops are bad.
            I think that only people who want to believe cops are all bad could possibly take the action of one to believe all are bad.

    2. Most of the time the cops ARE the bad guys.

      1. I totally agree with you. I have 3 cops in my family & they tell me stories. When there is a fight to break up, my cousin told me they wait for them to get tired, this way when they move in, they’ll be easier to take into custody because they have less fight in them.

        1. Wait a sec that makes them, “bad”?
          REALLY?
          That is your, “they are bad” story?
          WOW

          1. By the way you use caps and the tone of your question. I can tell that you’re not really looking what you asked. You should just take the direct route.

          2. Is that SERIOUSLY all you can come up with to pass judgement on cops and label them as, “bad”.
            They waited a bit to break up a fight and that somehow makes them bad?

          3. So I was right. If you want stories about cops being bad. I suggest you go ask one. I have three in my family and some of those “Bad” stories, are not appropriate for me to be telling. It’s not my place. If that’s what you want, I suggest you go to one and get it from them for yourself. I have nothing for you here as far as what you are looking for.

          4. LOLOL you brought it up back your shit up.
            This is forum and you are anonymous so please stop with your, “those “Bad” stories, are not appropriate for me to be telling.”
            You got nothing so this is stupid.

          5. Sorry, But you brought it up. You approached me. I didn’t go looking for you. But nice try. It’s quite obvious that all your comments were actually meant for the person who originally posted the comment above since what you are saying doesn’t apply to what I’ve said. You should start all over with him. You were trolling the wrong guy. Take care.

      2. ‘Most of the time’ depends on what side of the law you are on.

      3. My Permit is called the CONSTITUTION and the BILL OF RIGHTS. That’s all that’s necessary. I don’t agree at all with the dirty hippies who think they are entitled to well paying jobs when they’ve made poor choices (PhD in Org Psych…haha) going into massive debt at some whacked out college full of communist professors, but it’s hard to blame them for asking for bailouts with the example our government puts out there. I don’t think they should get anything out of it, but by all means, you’re free to whine away losers.

    3. Not all cops are bad just like not all people are hippies. It’s the dirtbag people that are the problem regardless of their occupation (pun intended). The problem is the high number of dirtbags working for the government.

    4. “All these occupy protesters don’t even have permits. ”
      Actually, most do. Here’s in Vegas, they all do. Learn, then think, then speak. It’ll save you from looking like an ass.

      But since the Constitution guarantees freedom of assembly, I’m not sure how permit status is relevant.

    5. Not all cops are bad, I would venture to say *most* cops are great people. But that doesn’t mean that they all are. When they break the law while trying to “enforce” it, it should be made visible to the public at large.

  3. Sorry but I worked while all these hippies lounged around at their occupy love fest. Must be nice to be able to take time off work and hang out and upload videos.

    1. take time off of work or just not being able to find work?

    2. Seriously, douche. Think about what you’re saying.

      My brother is 29, been in college for over 10 years, has his PhD in Developmental Psych, and has been looking for a job since December.

      He gets super far in every interview, then gets told they can not approve a hire because they can’t afford training for a new guy with no experience.

      He brings his iPad and chills at OccupyMN while applying for jobs. I went with him for a day. I promise you 70% are nicer and more educated than you, but they just can’t find jobs.

      1. Eh. Looking in the wrong places and/or fields for jobs. The digital economy is exploding. If you go that long looking for a job and don’t find one it’s time to create your own.

        Sincerely, self employed and rockig it since I was 17 with help from nobody.

        Pfft. Economy.

        Don’t get me wrong though, I’m sure he’s a wonderful guy and I’m sure he’ll eventually find a job if he sticks to it. But if he doesn’t it’s not the “economy’s fauly

        1. So you’re denying the economy is complete shit?

          When he decided to go into psych 8ish years ago, he was excited that there was so much need for it, and it paid so well.

          He had an internship for half a year in 08, then the economy went down. There is still a NEED for organizational psychologists, but companies don’t want to spend the money on training for a new guy. They need experience to get jobs, and you can’t get experience if you can’t find a job.

          Also, you’re 19. Computer/digital field wasn’t this big in 2000. And it’s not like he is going to switch on his last couple years left, after spent eight years in college.

          For people who are younger, it’s not too late to realize what’s going to do good or bad. I have been making iOS apps for two years making $300-$400 a month.

        2. You’ve been self-employed since you were 17? It figures. Your concept of the economy and employment clearly shows someone who has never graduated from college. It’s great that you have income, but people aren’t out of work, losing their homes, starving, and spending 60 hours a week looking for jobs for fun.

      2. No offence but maybe he should have gotten some experience when the economy was booming instead of waiting until a recession.

        1. Sure, drop off school and go get experience in a field whe’re you’re not properly trained. It’s not like the recession wasn’t annouced years ahead right?

          1. Or do like I’m doing and work full time to gain experience while getting an education.

        2. Yeah, because you have so much spare time to do so when you’re predoc.

          1. Must be real f-ing tough. Rich people problems. If you go to college for 10 years and have no work experience in the field you’re going into then you are a complete moron!

            Im quite sure someone could learn more in 5 years with 5 years work experience. Id love to have that kind of problem!

            So he made poor choices, shit happens. Grab your balls and go get ANY job to survive. Filling in applications through an iPad. WTFail!!!!

          2. You are clueless about what it takes for higher education. Let’s take your approach, and there will be no doctors. Brilliant, just brilliant.

      3. They ought to protest the real culprits then, the government…

        1. Step 1 – Go to the source.
          Step 2 – Go to the enablers.

          FYI – The source, is wall street who knowingly bundled subprime debt, and the banks who bought it.

          The enablers are the government instead of letting them fail which would have hurt us even more, bailed them out WITH NO OVERSIGHT ON THE BILLIONS OF TAXDOLLARS SENT THEIR WAY.

          No sir. It’s cooperation, 100%. American right to protest; support their rights, or move to China.

        2. George Bush, Henry Paulson, and Alan Greenspan aren’t in office anymore.

    3. Why do you assume everyone who protests is a hippy and why is being a hippy a bad thing? I don’t support this movement because I think you can do more damage from within a system than outside it but to each their own. Let them do what they want and eventually the whole protest thing will go away. Doesn’t make them hippies, just means they know these places need a revolution against corporate infrastructure.
      As said though, I don’t support them but my friend and I always have interesting political debates based on the whole “Occupy ____” protests even happening. It wouldn’t hurt for you to quit being a sheep and to be a bit more open minded / political. While I dont think all cops are bad, there are instances like in my city where it’s highly likely that a dumbass hillbilly cop would crack a protester in the face with a billy club. Oh well, I guess my rant is over. Enjoy your night.

    4. I’ve read through all the post and am pretty disgusted by the stupidity of most the posters on the negative. TweakedDave… big idiot!

      Before reading further lets remember a few things about the constitution and laws enacted after it was written. The right to assemble does not require a permit. Permits were added later deemed necessary for public safety and mostly police coordination. Public safety example The KKK trying to march through a black neighborhood using their right to bear arms.

      The protesters have stated their stance against bailouts and the disparity of wealth growth between the richest people and the middle class. The increase of wealth amongst the top 1 percent over the last 30 years is 240% the middle class has seen a 30% but with infatuation the rise is closer to 10% but the cost of insurance and education have raised an average of 80%.

      Also remember those hippies are actually doing what was done to strike the first blow of the American Revolution, the real Tea Party. NO PERMITS, COMPLETELY ILLEGAL and it was inf act a protest of the wealth gained from the labor of the people and sent to the British elite in the form of taxes.

      If you don’t support the Occupy movement then you should hate the fake Tea Party of today.

      Tweaked Dave it is not someone’s fault that they got a PhD especially in a field that benefits society. You lucked out or were given a slight advantage of some sort, great! The rest of the people in America have tried to get jobs work for google and other companies. I guess your right “^%#&” them. They should all go into tech so that no one gets mail or trash picked up or doctors to keep us walking.

      There is the history lesson, go read a damn book, then maybe you could point you anger in the right place.

    5. Any American should be ASHAMED by not supporting ANY type of American protest.

      If you don’t like them, move to China or Russia…I’m sure anyone willing to denigrate, insult and be ‘angry’ at American people extending a little bit of that “soldiers are fighting for freedom over there, so we can have it over here” collateral that people have died for, would just LOVE living in Russia or China. Try protesting over there and see what happens.

      And FYI, the protests are *not* just about the economy.

    6. Uhhh yeah, it must also be nice to have a job.

  4. Good. Damn cops pulling crud tick me off. Why should they get away with things?

  5. On the part where you wrote “Occupy _______fill in the blank” – I had filled in “My Ass” – but then I realized how much that really sounded gay. So strike that. No homo & nothing against it, but I suddenly I realized I had placed myself in a bad position. In more ways than one.

  6. Oh brother Chris another Pandora’s Box opened. I see so many ways this can go wrong. But hell yeah still thou don’t justify google handing over private emails thou which they have been reported to do to with the us government and not telling the person they are handing them over to the government

    1. Might have to close the comments >.<

  7. Oh snap chris you removed the comments of that dude with the star. Now he is going to go to his conspiracy forum and say how he was censored by Phandroid and claim phandroid is run by jews who control the world.

    1. You’re next. O_O Lol

      No seriously. Say whatever you want to say but chill on the insults. I’m not like Google. I’ll bust out the ban hammer. =p

      1. Ok understand.

  8. Censorship is always bad… especially in the US. Here in europe censorship isn’t an issue, we don’t have it hardly. The most important invention about the internet is, that everyone could and should write his/her opinion… without getting afraid to get punished for it… look at china, and you can see how bad it is, if governments play around with censorship! Keep your eyes opened!

  9. Not just police brutality, but police stupidity.

    Two Illinois men were threatened with 15 and 75 years for recording police traffic stops with phones and flip cameras. Apparently its ‘eavesdropping’ even though the police record the same thing with dash cams.

  10. I’m proud of google not censoring everything.

  11. Google shouldn’t censor anything.

    Google shouldn’t pull down the videos that start rolling 3 seconds after a rock hits a police officer in the head but only captures his response.

    Or videos that the beginning 6 seconds are cut that show the “protesters” linking arms and rushing a police line but conveniently show the police defending themselves.

    Nor should they censor videos put up by police agencies or other independent observers showing the plethora of laws being violated by the “protesters”. I put them in quotes because what they really are – are law breaking criminals who are using the guise of “free speech” to justify their continued disregard for society’s laws. The 1st Amendment does not supersede the rule of law. The “protesters” may think that they are being cracked down on because of their “grievances” (never mind the fact that, the only municipalities where they’ve been evicted are ones governed by the same wing of the political spectrum that they supposedly belong to – in other words, their allies) but in truth, they are being evicted because they are breaking the laws that were put in place by those particular municipalities.

    BUT… should video appear of these crimes, they shouldn’t be pulled down. I agree. In particular, I’d like to see the following crimes on video, not censored:

    Alleged Rape at Occupy Cleveland: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/rape-alleged-at-occupy-cleveland/

    Alleged sexual assault of teen at occupy Dallas: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/10/24/accusations-of-teen-runaway-sexual-activity-at-occupy-dallas/

    Sex, Drugs, hiding from the law at Occupy Wall Street:
    http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/it_nyc_lam_sterdam_bmE4vlV5aDUWhBRv9IbaiK#ixzz1bpX0rbqM

    Investigations of gang rape: http://www.verumserum.com/?p=31412

    Occypy hurting local jobs: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-25/occupy-wall-street-knows-not-what-it-does-hurting-local-jobs.html

    Occupy contributing to violent crime potentially: http://www.ology.com/politics/occupy-wall-street-contributing-increase-violent-crime

    More: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/shootings_way_up_in_two_weeks_rajGrOA0bMpTBslidEUgOI

    Occupy Boston Heroin party: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/10/24/pair-living-with-occupy-boston-protesters-arrested-for-selling-heroin/

    Pooping on police car: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046586/Occupy-Wall-Street-Shocking-photos-protester-defecating-POLICE-CAR.html

    Antisemitism #1: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/the_hate_in_zuccotti_KyGNaMM6eLBirVJN24fEEP

    Antisemitism #2: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/10/13/occupy-wall-street-kalle-lasn/

    Antisemitism #3: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4137855,00.html

    Antisemitism #4: http://www.mrctv.org/videos/ows-supporter-rants-against-israel-jews

    Kill the rich: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/65307.html

    Kill anyone who doesn’t agree with them: http://biggovernment.com/lstranahan/2011/10/24/glenn-beck-was-right-ows-wants-violent-revolution/

    “Self sufficient society (that relies on corporately provided food): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050954/Occupy-Wall-Street-protesters-eat-like-kings–rats-drugs-threaten-Occupy-Oakland.html#ixzz1bpWr7oKC

    There’s an app for this madness: http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/story/2011-10-25/Occupy-app/50903422/1

    Vandalism is a’ok because its “free speech maaaaaannnn”: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/10/two_occupy_portland_supporters.html

    Female coast guard member spit on by Occupy Boston members: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/occupy-boston-protesters-spit-on-coast-guard-member-20111013#ixzz1bpu3PQuf

    Protester throw rocks and fireworks at police: http://news.yahoo.com/police-fire-tear-gas-protesters-throw-rocks-044055972.html

    Boston Police officer website hacked. But because its “free speech” its ok, right?: http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/12005701975017/boston-police-website-hacked/#ixzz1bunNyHb4

    I could go on all day.

    1. I’ll call them protesters when they actually figure out what it is they are protesting…

    2. Right on. Thanks for all these amazing links!

    3. You’re a joke haaaaaaaaahhaaaa. They don’t even have a permet. Hahaha a perimeter for what? To band with Northwest to stand up for what’s right and what all the brain washed white colors will never do or try? Yea go duck off and learn some hidden American history how shit works in this country

    4. So…what would you propose? Getting rid of the American right to protest? Shred the constitution? Maybe wipe your butt with the Bill of Rights?

      Stop getting your news from the same sources; your bias is showing. Try thinking a little for yourself.

      And lastly, move to China. You’d feel right at home with censorship, police brutality, and protestors being beaten/shot.

      There are thousands of people showing up to these protests, and they are not bad people…they are A M E R I C A N S. Deal with it.

      1. “Police Brutality”. lol. No such thing as “Police Defensality” I guess. (yes I know that isn’t a word) Or how about “Police Inforcing-the-laws-that-people-are-openly-breakingality”. Get real, yes it exists, but its very rare and we have not seen it yet with the so called “protests”, which is really just a huge leftist movement.

    5. “Critics of the growing Occupy Wall Street movement complain that the protesters don’t have a policy agenda and, therefore, don’t stand for anything. They’re wrong. The key isn’t what protesters are for but rather what they’re against — the gaping inequality that has poisoned our economy, our politics and our nation.

      In America today, 400 people have more wealth than the bottom 150 million combined. That’s not because 150 million Americans are pathetically lazy or even unlucky. In fact, Americans have been working harder than ever — productivity has risen in the last several decades. Big business profits and CEO bonuses have also gone up. Worker salaries, however, have declined.

      Most of the Occupy Wall Street protesters aren’t opposed to free market capitalism. In fact, what they want is an end to the crony capitalist system now in place, that makes it easier for the rich and powerful to get even more rich and powerful while making it increasingly hard for the rest of us to get by. The protesters are not anti-American radicals. They are the defenders of the American Dream, the decision from the birth of our nation that success should be determined by hard work not royal bloodlines.

      Sure, bank executives may work a lot harder than you and me or a mother of three doing checkout at a grocery store. Maybe the bankers work ten times harder. Maybe even a hundred times harder. But they’re compensated a thousand times more.
      The question is not how Occupy Wall Street protesters can find that gross discrepancy immoral. The question is why every one of us isn’t protesting with them.

      According to polls, most Americans support the 99% movement, even if they’re not taking to the streets. In fact, support for the Occupy Wall Street protests is not only higher than for either political party in Washington but greater than support for the Tea Party. And unlike the Tea Party which was fueled by national conservative donors and institutions, the Occupy Wall Street Movement is spreading organically from Idaho to Indiana. Institutions on the left, including unions, have been relatively late to the game.

      Ironically, the original Boston Tea Party activists would likely support Occupy Wall Street more as well. Note that the original Tea Party didn’t protest taxes, merely the idea of taxation without representation — and they were actually protesting the crown-backed monopoly of the East India Company, the main big business of the day.

      Americans today also support taxes. In fact, two-thirds of voters — including a majority of Republicans — support increasing taxes on the rich, something the Occupy Wall Street protests implicitly support. That’s not just anarchist lefty kids. Soccer moms and construction workers and, yes, even some bankers want to see our economy work for the 99%, not just the 1%, and are flocking to Occupy protests in droves.
      I’ve even met a number of Libertarians and Tea Party conservatives at these protests. So the critics are right, the Occupy Wall Street movement isn’t the Tea Party. Occupy Wall Street is much, much broader.

      Maybe it’s hard to see your best interests reflected in a sometimes rag-tag, inarticulate, imperfect group of protesters. But make no mistake about it: While horrendous inequality is not an American tradition, protest is.And if you’re part of the 99% of underpaid or unemployed Americans crushed in the current economy, the Occupy Wall Street protests are your best chance at fixing the broken economy that is breaking your back.”

      1. I stopped reading after the second paragraph. Americans are getting lazier then they ever have been, and they get lazier by the minute. I’m not rich, but I don’t need to be to say that the rest of you (I’m American as well) need to stop complaining and see who the real culprit is: mass laziness. And the thing about top 400 people holding more wealth than the lower 150 million, I don’t believe that is true, you provided no proof, but how is that bad? This is a capitalist nation, not a socialist.

    6. Funny how most of those news sources are unreliable and widely considered biased.

  12. Google for president, 2012.

  13. Chris Chavez you’re a damn fool.

  14. GO GOOGLE!

  15. All I’ve got to say is… HA HA! Silly government, constitution violations are for dictators!

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