http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/20/google-google-street-view
Today Google released a controversial new online tool. The visual world map shows each individual country requests for removal of data or request for user information. Although it does not show the specific cases, it shows the amount of requests and subsequent complies. Google, often claimed to be the forerunner of the battle against internet censorship, states that this clarification will lead to less censorship. The alleged requests include only government cases, thus user ‘flagging’ has not been included. Currently, the greatest remover is Brazil, with 291 requests for removal of data. The UK, has made 1,166 requests for user data in the latter half of 2009.
The censorship of data on the Internet has taken interesting forms in recent times. When exchange of files and information happens so quickly and massively, it can be near impossible to regulate flow of certain data, especially sensitive information. The news of an attempt to censor such information spreads similarly in magnitude. This leads to a great demand for the censored information, since users want to know why it was censored in the first place. This so-called ‘Streisand-effect’ has occurred frequently in recent years, for example the infamous 2007 USA video, in which Iraq journalists were mistaken for insurgents, and subsequently shot.
I think the initiative taken by Google is a good thing. It might not solve the problem but taking this kind of information public will show people that governments do hold information from us as they please. Let’s hope that the governments around the world feel forced to at least explain, now that everybody knows.
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