Google has launched a Google Maps tool, called Google Government Requests to show statistics of all government requests it is getting to supply data or to remove content and the percentage it is fully or partially complying with these requests.
- Because, according to Google, “Chinese officials consider censorship demands as state secrets”, Google “is not disclosing that information at this time.”
- “[F]or YouTube, we have not included government requests for removal of copyrighted content. The vast majority of requests for removal of copyrighted material on YouTube are received from private parties; some may come from state or foreign governments, but that number is very low. Regardless, such requests are not reflected in these statistics.”
Great that Google is disclosing its dealing with governments, but the following is unclear to me:
- This emphasis on the exclusion of government requests for removal of copyrighted content for YouTube, suggests that the requests for the removal of copyrighted content at other Google sites is included in the statistics. Is it? However, when you click on China, the only information you are getting is about censorship.
- And this suggests that the Chinese government never requested a removal of data because of copyright infringement. Did it?
