Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
1–10 of 15 posts
Re: Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
#2This seems to run counter to the idea that Google wants to promote democracy. Hell or high water, if a country has stifling civil liberties, a company with real principles in cultivating discourse and democracy would stick to their guns regardless of local laws.
In this case, it looks like a simple case of complying with local laws to continue to growing their bottom line. It’s why we can’t believe Silicon Valley when they say they want to cultivate discourse and democracy. They don’t. They want to make money. When the two coincide with one another, that’s great. When they don’t, profit is more important than freedom. That’s why we can’t trust private enterprises to act in the best interests of society.
Re: Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
#3Don't accuse me of being a Russian shill, I'm the opposite. But isn't this a local law in many countries?
"The laws prohibit political campaigning within 24 hours of an official poll."
We have a similar law in most of Canada, I think. No advertising just before Election Day. In some provinces, the blackout includes the day before an election (Ontario, for example).
Interesting that for national elections, Canada doesn't allow advertising on Election Day itself, but specifically exempts internet ads that were placed before Election Day. So if you uploaded a video to youtube before the blackout, you don't have to remove it.
The question here is whether Google also removed other Russian party ads from YouTube as well.
Re: Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
#4This seems to run counter to the idea that Google wants to promote democracy. Hell or high water, if a country has stifling civil liberties, a company with real principles in cultivating discourse and democracy would stick to their guns regardless of local laws. In this case, it looks like a simple case of complying with local laws to continue to growing their bottom line. It’s why we can’t believe Silicon Valley whe…
You're advocating for breaking a country's laws. What makes Russia's laws worth less than any other country's? Whether you agree or not with them, you have to respect them. They are a sovereign country and have the right to establish whatever laws they want within their territory.
Re: Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
#5This seems to run counter to the idea that Google wants to promote democracy. Hell or high water, if a country has stifling civil liberties, a company with real principles in cultivating discourse and democracy would stick to their guns regardless of local laws. In this case, it looks like a simple case of complying with local laws to continue to growing their bottom line. It’s why we can’t believe Silicon Valley whe…
> This seems to run counter to the idea that Google wants to promote democracy. Hell or high water, if a country has stifling civil liberties, a company with real principles in cultivating discourse and democracy would stick to their guns regardless of local laws.
I don't really think pulling out of the United States is a viable market strategy for Google
Re: Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
#6This seems to run counter to the idea that Google wants to promote democracy. Hell or high water, if a country has stifling civil liberties, a company with real principles in cultivating discourse and democracy would stick to their guns regardless of local laws. In this case, it looks like a simple case of complying with local laws to continue to growing their bottom line. It’s why we can’t believe Silicon Valley whe…
You're advocating for breaking a country's laws. What makes Russia's laws worth less than any other country's? Whether you agree or not with them, you have to respect them. They are a sovereign country and have the right to establish whatever laws they want within their territory.
> Whether you agree or not with them, you have to respect them.
A trivial comparison: would you respect laws of Nazi Germany in 1930s if Internet existed then?
Re: Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
#7This seems to run counter to the idea that Google wants to promote democracy. Hell or high water, if a country has stifling civil liberties, a company with real principles in cultivating discourse and democracy would stick to their guns regardless of local laws. In this case, it looks like a simple case of complying with local laws to continue to growing their bottom line. It’s why we can’t believe Silicon Valley whe…
You're advocating for breaking a country's laws. What makes Russia's laws worth less than any other country's? Whether you agree or not with them, you have to respect them. They are a sovereign country and have the right to establish whatever laws they want within their territory.
> You're advocating for breaking a country's laws. What makes Russia's laws worth less than any other country's? Whether you agree or not with them, you have to respect them.
No, you don't. Websites are international, and Google could always refuse to comply. They run the risk of being blocked, but that might be preferable to complying with an immoral or unjust law.
> They are a sovereign country and have the right to establish whatever laws they want within their territory.
No. Do you think "sovereign countries" have a right to establish laws implementing the genocide of a minority population? To use torture freely? To murder or imprison people for criticizing the government? To absolutely defer to sovereignty is to either stand by while injustices large and small are inflicted on others, or even worse join in and be complicit in the injustice.
Re: Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're advocating for breaking a country's laws. What makes Russia's laws worth less than any other country's? Whether you agree or not with them, you have to respect them. They are a sovereign country and have the right to establish whatever laws they want within their territory.
> Whether you agree or not with them, you have to respect them. A trivial comparison: would you respect laws of Nazi Germany in 1930s if Internet existed then?
I would choose not to do business with Nazi Germany. If I'm running a business and don't agree with their laws, I can choose not to do business there. If I'm choosing to do business there, I'm choosing to respect their laws. It's that simple - it's just like an individual immigrating to a country.
Doing business there, and breaking their laws, isn't right no matter what you think of them.
Re: Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Whether you agree or not with them, you have to respect them. A trivial comparison: would you respect laws of Nazi Germany in 1930s if Internet existed then?
I would choose not to do business with Nazi Germany. If I'm running a business and don't agree with their laws, I can choose not to do business there. If I'm choosing to do business there, I'm choosing to respect their laws. It's that simple - it's just like an individual immigrating to a country. Doing business there, and breaking their laws, isn't right no matter what you think of them.
> Doing business there
Out of curiosity, how'd you define "doing business there" in a borderless Internet? Surely Google servers remain in the USA? Would you rely on imperfect client location determination?
Re: Russia: Google removes Putin critic's ads from YouTube
#10This seems to run counter to the idea that Google wants to promote democracy. Hell or high water, if a country has stifling civil liberties, a company with real principles in cultivating discourse and democracy would stick to their guns regardless of local laws. In this case, it looks like a simple case of complying with local laws to continue to growing their bottom line. It’s why we can’t believe Silicon Valley whe…
You're advocating for breaking a country's laws. What makes Russia's laws worth less than any other country's? Whether you agree or not with them, you have to respect them. They are a sovereign country and have the right to establish whatever laws they want within their territory.
I'm actually not advocating breaking a country's laws or their sovereignty. What I was trying to argue (and I probably didn't do a good job) is that trusting a for-profit company to serve the general welfare and public good is a fool's errand. This is further proof that companies like Google only care about furthering conversations insofar as to make money.