Google in the criticism

Censorship

Google removes entries on its result pages because of legal editions. Since Google in different countries maintains branches, also the kind and the extent of the distance of results vary.

The first group covers Websites, which offer contents, although they do not possess copyright or an appropriate permission for it. In addition belonged at first above all Websites, which offered protected material of the Church to OF Scientology sect. Meanwhile Google removes all contents, for the someone with Google one infringement notification (about: Law breaking answer) in accordance with the US-American DMCA law submitting HTTP: /www.google.com/dmca.html#notification. On a certain Google result page if an entry for this reason is suppressed, Google dazzles an appropriate reference down on the side (example: functioning to 9. May 2006).

Criticism at Google becomes particularly because of the second group the own Ranking enterprise automated by interferences loud into. Results far away, because the spreading of contents on the sides, to which one refers, in which is forbidden to country concerned.

Thus on Google.de and Google.fr (the German and/or Domain of the search machine) some sides with contents are removed, which are punishable, in Germany e.g. after "§130 StGB ("„incitement of the masses "“). The legislation in France and Germany forbids offering such contents. Apart from the actual censorship also criticism at Googles information politics is practiced. Google is limited on the own assistance sides to a general reference that only due to local regulations results are removed, this however by an insertion is marked. Such an insertion in some cases finds actual however still not instead of (conditions January 2006).

Special attention attained Googles on 25 January 2006 de-energised Chinese search machine Google.cn (message http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/68792). As is the case for the German and French expenditure the extent of the filterings of the authorities is prescribed. In case of China is because of the specific weighting of forbidden texts, according to filtering more intensively, nevertheless however in agreement with the laws. In the exclusion list terms are as (Falungong), (rebellion from 4 June, Tian'anmen Massacre 1989) or (independence for Taiwan). Sides, which do not please the Chinese authorities, are not listed and during input of the terms are sides to be only found, which exhibit a government-friendly tenor. Google points users with the search for terms, which on the censorship list, on the distances.

Critics condemn the procedure of Google Inc. as Anbiedern for profit reasons to the Chinese government with its violations of human rights still practiced (example Google answered that one disapproves the presented restrictions, but of the fact is convinced that the censored Google results are an improvement before in relation to the status Quo http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/01/google-in-china.html.

Googles self-chosen firm slogan Don't evil (Do nothing bad), against which they offend now in the perception of the critics, is together with Googles high market share a reason for the fact that the protest is larger against the China business than with the competitors Yahoo! and MSN search, which is represented already with similar filterings on the Chinese market.

Data security

The business practices of Google come for some years under bombardment, because under the refusal of the company to abandon Interna also concrete statements for data security practiced by the company it falls (and/or whether this exists at all).

First point of criticism was the assignment of individual Cookies by the search machine to its users. Officially this Cookies serves only to store attitudes; why in addition for each Browser a clear and over 30 years valid number is assigned automatically, and this, if no attitudes were made, wants not to clarify Google. Technically it is undisputedly simpler, instead of storing the identification number the attitudes themselves in the Cookie. It is interesting in this connection that a possibility was again turned off of using personal attitudes also without Cookie briefly after its discovery by Google Watch on the part of Google.

It is therefore assumed that this identification number serves not only the attitudes to pull but also in addition, to log retrieval queries of each user at least in order from it conclusions on spheres of interest.

With the Webmaildienst GMail arose further criticism. Google had announced to scan contents of the enamels received over GMail to fade in primarily in order in addition suitable advertisement. After this project encountered even among California delegates refusal, Google moved away at least officially from it again.

The social network Orkut stands to good the latter likewise under observation, since each participant before use must make detailed information over itself. This is principle-conditioned, since otherwise the use of such a network is rather small, however would be Google with the help of all three services able to provide over individual users exact profiles and to make it thus "„the customer "“.

The group of citizen rights of Public information Research nominated Google bread ago 2003 in the USA for "„the Big Award "“(see to the topic http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/26/technology/26privacy.html).

Monopoly

With search machine inquiries in the German Internet Google possesses already a market share of over 80 per cent of c't (Mario Sixtus): '' The other world of good and badly '', 02.Mai.2006. Medium researchers regard the opinion power of Google meanwhile as problematic. Critics speak already of a future Google society http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/59709. Googles expansion strategy resembles from Microsoft, only Google acts to many fast http://www.heise.de/ct/06/10/162/. The leader that Paris national library sees the hegemony of the English progressing with Google and wants, in the tradition of the Gaullismus, its own European search machine Quaero under national control to establish. Its demand refers expressly not only to the book digitization project Google Book search, but to the whole Google system. A European algorithm is necessary. To an private-economical search machine such as Google be missing it particularly at durability. The Ranking system recompences in principle the stronger one opposite the weaker one.

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