Google already has a logo that fits. A circle with 3 sixes. 666
Posted on 09/07/2021 9:28:37 AM PDT by Red Badger
Google algorithms are automatically selecting videos from news channels to be censored from Australian viewers that it deems offensive, inaccurate or dangerous, a media diversity inquiry has heard.
But the tech giant has defended the move, saying its parameters were set by global “trust and safety teams” based on the best evolving advice from governments, health authorities and community standards.
The admission came during an inquiry by the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee into media diversity chaired by Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and a one-week YouTube ban on Sky News and the removal of 23 clips last year related to Covid-19.
Answering a question from Senator Kim Carr, Google conceded it removed the videos after Google’s algorithm determined the footage – which the committee heard was from Sky commentators and largely related to Covid-19 – to be violations of its misinformation policies.
Google Australia and New Zealand public policy director Lucinda Longcroft said
combating misinformation was a whole-of-society challenge and the tech giant took its responsibilities seriously.
“We are not an anything-goes platform,” Ms Longcroft said.
The footage, the committee was told, was largely filmed prior to the availability of Covid-19 vaccinations and included medical experts and commentators questioning whether ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine could be a treatment for Covid-19.
Ms Longcroft said the videos were determined to be misinformation by artificial intelligence software and no personal complaint had been made to the platform.
She revealed there were 12,000 members of the tech giant’s trust and safety teams, who were not qualified medical experts but experts in the application of Google’s community guidelines.
Those guidelines were created in consultation with “experts in that area,” she said, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and global government health authorities.
Google removed about 5000 videos related to Covid-19 with Australian IP addresses.
But the head of Australia’s media regulator said it was still unaware of exactly what Sky News content Google had unilaterally decided to remove from YouTube.
Australian Communications and Media Authority chairperson Nerida O’Loughlin said “we did ask Google that question and they did not provide that information to us” and criticised its lack of reliance on a detailed review.
“YouTube has, through an algorithm, decided that there is some content — without the context around it — that causes them concerns under their own established rules for people on their platform,” she said.
“They do not have the sort of escalated powers that we have to do anything but take that content down. We have not had complaints that have come to us which have required us to exercise those powers today.”
Ms O’Loughlin said ACMA received 37 complaints about Sky News content in 2021 but, of the 24 complaints referred back to the broadcaster, no complainants had yet come back to the authority.
South Australian Senator Alex Antic also challenged why Far Left Extinction Rebellion activist views and protests were not being removed from YouTube, nor the independently “discredited” Luna Park ghost train fire documentary by public broadcaster the ABC.
Google was also questioned why remarks by US President Joe Biden about the effectiveness of masks for Covid-19 also remained online.
Ms Longcroft maintained Google’s policies were based on diverse sources and applied to all equally including US presidents and political spectrum far Left and far Right, but would now check on the Biden remarks and other material.
“Our Covid-19 policy is applied equally to all YouTube content and channel owners,” she said.
The at times lively committee hearing at one stage descended, ironically, into the medical merits of ivermectin and the qualifications of those in the committee asking questions, with former prime minister Kevin Rudd dismissing remarks by some members but maintaining the future of democracy in Australia was at stake by the influence of some media, notably News Corp Australia – publisher of this publication – with which he conceded he has been embroiled in a long-running dispute.
Ms Longcroft said Google welcomed greater media regulation that was “balanced, fair and reasonable”.
It’s all about the programming, isn’t it.
Kind of like when some entity coughs up a ton of cash for a study, the study somehow always shows that nothing is wrong.
Or when the Democrats give the CBO some fantasy numbers about a proposed bill. CBO can only score something based on the data given. So, when the data is corrupt, the outcome is corrupt.
Imagine that.
Let that one sink in. "Trust and Safety Teams". Because "censorship boards" might be upsetting.
It's really sad that lost in all the talk of private businesses and Congressional immunity is the fact that the internet was paid for by American taxpayers and as such, is the same as our other utilities.
Did anyone vote for them to run everyone’s lives?
What a sterling example of
“power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Time to heed Thomas Jefferson’s statement about the tree of liberty.
Most with a brain know that. We also know that google is a private company and can pull any content it wants. Use at your own risk.
Wow, and just like that, you’re calling for more government regulation and control. Sad.
🤔🤔🤔🤳🤳🤳
Censorship. Of what they deem offensive or dangerous. Check. If you didn’t think the deep state was real, these last several years should have convinced you. If not by now, you’re probably beyond hope. Enjoy the grass sheeple.
Oh, and these “community standards” are made up by the latest pack of pricks hired by 3rd parties you deny exist?
Bite me Google.
Google algorithms are automatically selecting videos from news channels to be censored from Australian viewers that it deems offensive, inaccurate or dangerous, a media diversity inquiry has heard. But the tech giant has defended the move, saying its parameters were set by global “trust and safety teams” based on the best evolving advice from governments, health authorities and community standards.
They’re doing it here, to, if you haven’ noticed.
Big business has simply become a tool of the state. It is the trade off to keep billions in profits flowing.
However I predict this will backfire as we have seen with MSM news. People will simply find alternative sources and google/government will lose the monopoly on info.
I misunderstood then. You want section 230 of the comm decency act that says “No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by.
Google already has a logo that fits. A circle with 3 sixes. 666
Australia and other countries need to simply BLOCK YouTube and Google and whoever else is doing this crap, especially when it’s the governments (not the Joe Rogans) who are now being attacked with this censorship.
They voted for you via Dominion.........................
Who elected Google as the keeper of truth and civilization?
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