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Google warns AdSense users not to 'monetize' the war in Ukraine [telecom]

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  Google warns AdSense users not to 'monetize' the war in Ukraine [telecom] Bill Horne <malQRMassimilation@gmail.com> - 2022-04-13 20:35 +0000
    Re: Google warns AdSense users not to 'monetize' the war in Ukraine  [telecom] "Marco Moock" <mo01@posteo.de> - 2022-04-16 20:15 +0200
    Re: Google warns AdSense users not to 'monetize' the war in Ukraine  [telecom] "Dave Garland" <dave.garland@wizinfo.com> - 2022-04-17 00:02 -0500

#12867 — Google warns AdSense users not to 'monetize' the war in Ukraine [telecom]

Opinion by the Moderator
(Guest Moderated by Fred Goldstein, with thanks)

A long time ago, Pat Townsend had ads on the Telecom Digest
website. When I took over, I took them down, since MIT policy was not
to allow ads, and I didn't want to offend our benefactors - power,
processor, pipe, and ping do NOT come cheap - and so the ads went
away. I sent Pat a check for what was left in the AdSense account, but
I decided to keep it open in case we had to change location and come
up with money for a "commercial" web service provider.

Today, I got the following notice from AdSense:

     Dear Publisher,

     Due to the war in Ukraine, we will pause monetization of content
     that exploits, dismisses, or condones the war.  Please note, we
     have already been enforcing on claims related to the war in
     Ukraine when they violated existing policies (for instance, the
     Dangerous or Derogatory content policy prohibits monetizing
     content that incites violence or denies tragic events). This
     update is meant to clarify, and in some cases expand, our
     publisher guidance as it relates to this conflict.  This pause
     includes, but is not limited to, claims that imply victims are
     responsible for their own tragedy or similar instances of victim
     blaming, such as claims that Ukraine is committing genocide or
     deliberately attacking its own citizens.

     Sincerely,

     The Google AdSense Team

Now, I'm neither an admirer or a critic of Google, as a company. My
views on the Google Pixel cellphone are obvious, but I don't think that
Google's search engine and/or advertising business are a threat to
society, good taste, or political correctness.

But, this new policy worries me. With most major newspapers going
online, and with minor regional or local newspapers forced to cut back
on printing expense, the online ad revenue that they receive from
Google AdSense might be essential to maintaining some semblence of a
"free" press.

To the extent that Google's decision causes editors to spike *ANY*
stories about the Russion-Ukranian war, then Google is exercising
editorial control over what ordinary citizens in the U.S. are able to
see and hear concerning it.


--
(Please remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)

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#12868 — Re: Google warns AdSense users not to 'monetize' the war in Ukraine [telecom]

Am Mittwoch, 13. April 2022, um 20:35:53 Uhr schrieb Bill Horne:

> To the extent that Google's decision causes editors to spike *ANY*
> stories about the Russion-Ukranian war, then Google is exercising
> editorial control over what ordinary citizens in the U.S. are able to
> see and hear concerning it.

That is what Google wants.

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#12869 — Re: Google warns AdSense users not to 'monetize' the war in Ukraine [telecom]

I cannot recall any time that this venue has even mentioned Ukrainian 
or Russian systems, and if we do, it's likely to be re technology, not 
politics or aggression. So it doesn't seem to apply to us. Discussion 
of politics not related to telecom is off-topic here. Maybe we could 
see an article on how communications via secure vs. non-secure cell or 
radio circuits impacts military operations. Whether Google's policy 
attacks free speech* or any side's propaganda** is a different 
question but need not concern us.

* only applies to government restrictions
** it is dangerous to take any side's claims as 100% truth, e.g. "we 
sunk Moskva with 2 missiles" vs. "Moskva had a fire".

***** Moderator's Note *****

What concerns me is not Google's actions vis-à-vis the Russia-Ukraine
conflict, but the precedent. Mega-corporations have been trying to
bypass government restrictions on their operations for decades, and
Google's decision to tax any opinion about the Russion-Ukrainian war
that they don't agree with is, AFAICT, just a trial balloon. If our
government can't act - and I don't think it can - then Google can
define any opinion other than its own as being unjust and/or racist,
mysogynistic, or against unspecified rules.

This is the beginning of a return to a new copy of the Hearst empire,
and to a world where Billionaires decide what is best for us. You
heard it here first.

Bill Horne
Moderator

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