Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content” • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#931

Post by roundTwoFight » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 1:57 PM UTC

To end the dehumanizing scourge of Nazism, racism, bigoted thinking, imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, conservatism, republicanism, white supremacy, sexism, Islamophobia, Asian hate, transphobia, Satanic Panics, antisemitism, and reactionary ruralism, and libertarian "freedoms" some sacrifices must be made.

Google Drive is on the right side of history with this move. I just wish people would accept that to stop the greatest evils in the known universe, it's okay to take firm and bold stances like this.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#932

Post by refurb » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 2:14 PM UTC

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

Indeed. When the founding father created the system the US has today, it was entirely intentional that powers be separated and check each other, that the house, senate and President were required to pass legislation, etc. The founding father recognized that the default is a slide towards authoritarianism, that’s just human nature. The system works when no one person can gather enough power to take over.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#933

Post by wutbrodo » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 2:25 PM UTC

wwweston wrote: post #799

wutbrodo wrote: post #725

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All our legal protections ultimately depend on a democratic foundation -- undo that with misinformation and you don't have anything anymore. Similarly, your rights don't matter much if you're dead. This is an insane conclusion to draw, because it blithely ignores that it positions Google as an oracle of what's threatening to democracy and what isn't. The examples in the current policy are fairly narrow, but this is…

It's funny to see people freak out about this when entire foundation of Google is built on the proposition that it can make effective judgments about the relative value of various content out there on the web. Like, if Google has a hidden agenda here that makes it any more fundamentally compromised as a judge of disinformation than anything else, then whether or not it will be a free CDN for arbitrary content isn't r…

> It's funny to see people freak out about this when entire foundation of Google is built on the proposition that it can make effective judgments about the relative value of various content out there on the web.

You're thinking of Google Search, their web search product. The thread is talking about Google Drive, their file-storage and - sharing product. If you don't get the difference between these two products and the expectations around them, I don't know what to tell you.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#934

Post by refurb » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 2:25 PM UTC

wwweston wrote: post #810

lbj wrote: post #752

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Youre absolutely right and the Ministry of Truth reference couldn’t be more chilling

"Ministry of Truth" references are the opposite of illuminating; they're reflexive association of any attempt to arbitrate truth with totalitarian oppression. The fact is there is no such thing as rule of law without lots of institutions and individuals (private and public) taking responsibility for arbitrating truth. And there's no freedom of speech without allowing them to do it.

This is not true at all. The rule of law, within the confines of the judicial system, does NOT define truth. The system weighs evidence and determines whether the preponderance of evidence indicates guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Someone could murder someone, but due to lack of evidence they are found “not guilty”. But that’s not the same as “the truth is this person did not commit murder”. It’s simply a finding that the state didn’t prove its case.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#935

Post by fitzie » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 2:26 PM UTC

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

that's not accurate at all. look at the misleading medical information definition from Google

"Misleading content related to harmful health practices: Misleading health or medical content that promotes or encourages others to engage in practices that may lead to serious physical or emotional harm to individuals, or serious public health harm."

not only do they use the term misleading to define the term misleading, they clearly state any information that could cause serious public health harm is misleading. when people are screaming about vaccine misinformation they are often talking about discussing side effects of the vaccine, which causes hesitancy and therefore harm. if pressed for an example, they will pick up an absurd claim like 5g caused covid, but not the typical claims that the covid vaccine has reportedly killed thousands and injuries many more than that.

the labels disinformation, misinformation, misleading, potentially harmful are very orwellian, as many can take them to mean false information, but in fact these labels can be placed on perfectly true statements that are simply dissenting.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#936

Post by overgard » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 2:28 PM UTC

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

Fuck off, "misinformation" means "unpopular with whoever is in power". This isn't a contrived emergency, this is scary what is happening. When Trump won, the left didn't think "how do we express ourselves better", they went straight to "lets outlaw anyone that disagrees". This is how totalitarian states are created.

Edit: im sorry i might have misread what you're saying. My position is that i'm not ok with anyone having the authority to define truth. Rereading it I think you're saying the same thing, the first sentence caught me off guard.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#937

Post by rannor » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 2:42 PM UTC

We would have been similarly protected from Galileo’s misinformation too, right? I guess I’d prefer we not censor “wrong” ideas. The bigger the government policy footprint, the more trolley problems are bungled. Humility is understanding that sometimes less is more. “Let it be.”

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#938

Post by andrepd » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 2:55 PM UTC

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

>It's insane, and it's amazing to me how many of you have your heads so far up your ass that you can't see what is obvious and how are you so dumb bla bla bla

Clearly, since this is the most upvoted comment in the entire thread, you're not the only freethinker in an ocean of sheep.

I don't know, this lecturing tone is quite aggravating.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#939

Post by TroisM » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 2:59 PM UTC

crazygringo wrote: post #388

I see a lot of comments misinterpreting this. First, it's not about private files, it's about distributing content. Google isn't spying on your private files, but does scan them when you share them publicly. E.g. keep all the pirated movies you want on your Drive, and even give private access to friends, but the moment you make them publicly viewable Google scans them and limits access accordingly. So no, this isn't…

> Google isn't spying on your private files

actually, it does... at least on the ones hosted by Google.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#940

Post by jeantherapy » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 3:04 PM UTC

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

thank you sir. you have my keyboard. i was expecting the top comment to be the exact opposite of what you said.