Google bans environmental group's ads from site

Mercury News ^ | 2/12/04 | Michael Liedtke - AP

[NormsRevenge]

SAN FRANCISCO - Online search engine leader Google has banned the ads of an environmental group protesting a major cruise line's sewage treatment methods, casting a spotlight on the policies - and power - of the popular Web site's lucrative marketing program.

[NormsRevenge]

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[Ramius]

It must really tick these people off that fish and whales dump billions of tons of untreated sewage into the oceans every year.

[NormsRevenge]

I was gonna ask the same question myself.. Thanks!

[Ron in Acreage]

Maybe Oceana would like a sewage treatment plant right next to their little cubicle headquarters in DC. I'd bet the sh*t would hit the fan then.

[cripplecreek]

How can this be happening when liberals are such a clear majority in this country? (sarcasm off)

[KosmicKitty]

A good friend of mine's husband it quite the outdoors man - has been all over the North american continent, hunting, fishing & photographing. Several years ago, he and my friend took their 2 sons up into British Columbia on a fishing vacation. Mike, my friend's husband, was talking about this beautiful, pristine river they visited. Way up north, the water was sparkling clean and clear - you could drink right out of it, and there were no fish to be found. When they followed the river south eventually they came to a sewerage treatment plant. Above the plant, no fish, below the plant, lots of fish.

[BurbankKarl]

They are a private company...and can do what they want.

Plus, why lose future cruise ship ads for some ecogroup?

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[kingu]

Censorship. One of the most overused words out there. Governments censor, businesses don't. They are, really, just called business decisions.

Google has a right to pick and choose what ads it wants to carry, but to be honest, I think they cited the wrong issue. The Oceana ad was in itself a message; sure, people could have gone to the website for more information, but their statement was basically the whole. It was, for Google, a loss, since they make money on people clicking on links.

The ADWord technology also powers ads on many websites, not just Google's. I'm sure that the cruise travel websites that found the ad on their pages were the greatest objectors to what Oceana had to say.

[E.G.C.]

BTT!!!!!