Google introduces country domains on Blogger to aid content removal
- 02 February, 2012 22:11
- Comments
Google is directing users to localized country domains on Blogger to provide it flexibility to comply with content removal rules in various countries.
The move suggests that Internet companies are coming to terms with the need to follow local rules, as they try to gain users in countries where there are concerns about pornography, and certain political and religious content.
Google's update on Jan. 9 came ahead of Twitter's controversial decision last week to withhold certain content from users in a specific country, when required by local laws, while keeping it available to the rest of the world.
Over the coming weeks, users might notice that the URL (uniform resource locator) of a blog they are reading has been redirected to a country-code top level domain, or ccTLD, Google said on a support page on Blogger that was first noticed by the news site Techdows.
"Migrating to localized domains will allow us to continue promoting free expression and responsible publishing while providing greater flexibility in complying with valid removal requests pursuant to local law," Google said. Content removed due to a specific country's law will only be removed from the relevant ccTLD, it added.
Google is facing legal action in India in connection with content on its sites that is said to be objectionable. The Indian government in January allowed a court in Delhi to prosecute Google, Facebook, and 19 others, after Vinay Rai, editor of a local newspaper, filed a suit alleging objectionable content on their websites. Google had meanwhile appealed the lower court order before the Delhi High Court.
The Indian government has also demanded that Google and others should evolve mechanisms to quickly remove online content considered objectionable under Indian law.
But the feature on Blogger is part of a global rollout, and has little to do with the current situation in India, said a source close to the situation, who requested anonymity.
Services like Blogger, YouTube and Google+ help users to express themselves and share different points of view, Google said in a statement on Thursday. Where content is illegal or breaks Google's terms of service, the company will continue to remove it, it added. Google did not respond to a request for comment whether the changes on Blogger were linked to the court decision in India.
Google's YouTube also restricts access to content by IP address, citing the requirement of some content partners to make their videos available only to certain countries. It also blocks specific content in order to comply with local laws in countries where YouTube has launched. "For instance, certain Nazi imagery is unlawful in parts of Europe," according to a YouTube support page.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.
- Bookmark this page
- Share this article
- Got more on this story? Email CIO
- Follow CIO on twitter
-
Australia's first 4G smartphone is the HTC Velocity 4G
-
Swedish e-commerce startup's execs linked to NYC sex crime
-
Face Time - Interview with John Brennan and Robert DiStefano
-
How to implement next-generation storage infrastructure for Big Data
-
Pfizer's Future Depends on IT Transformation
-
Synergy gains sustainable competitive edge with HP printers, services and solutions
Western Australian electricity retailer Synergy signed a four-year HP Smart Print Services agreement to establish an efficient and sustainable imaging and printing network which reduces waste and the organisation’s environmental footprint, without compromising on quality, reliability or security. Read more. -
Five Things You Need to Know About Your Users Before You Deploy Business Intelligence
In our years of experience working with companies of all types and sizes to design and deploy business intelligence systems, we’ve learned that there are five key things you need to know about your users before you roll out related technologies to them. In this paper, we will discuss these five things, as well as their implications. -
A Governance Guide for Hybrid SharePoint Migrations
Cloud-based computing represents a powerful new option for managing enterprise content, offering increased flexibility, efficiency, and reduced cost for IT infrastructure, data storage, and applications. However, for a variety of business and technical reasons, most organisations will take a phased approach to adopting cloud-based services, which will require them to continue to maintain their on-premises SharePoint environments during the transition. This white paper, written by Chris Beckett from SharePoint Bits, discusses some of the benefits and risks of hybrid SharePoint deployments, and presents governance considerations that are essential for ensuring a successful migration.
-
Blackberry Storm for Dummies®, 2nd Edition
-
Big Java 3E for Java 5 and 6 + WileyPlus Registration Card
-
Handbook of Usability Testing
-
HTML Complete, Third Edition
-
Lego Mindstorms for Dummies
-
Java for Dummies, 4th Edition
-
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for Digital Photographers Only
-
The Hidden Power of Flash Components (Includes CD-ROM)
-
E-Commerce for Dummies








Comments
Post new comment