Google often claims to “do no evil” and to support a censorship free internet. Unfortunately, those principles don’t extend to polite and rational advocacy of constitutional rights. I recently ran a Google AdWords advertising campaign, only to have my ads pulled by Google:
I purchased a new web hosting account for LearnAboutGuns.com, and received a $25 Google AdWords coupon. I used this coupon, along with some additional money, and opened a Google AdWords advertising account. I ran then the following advertisement:
Title: Gun Control Facts
Text: Before you support gun control, take a minute to learn the facts
After the ad ran for a few days, Google decided to remove it, citing their no “firearms and ammunition” policy:
Note that this ad did not promote any gun or ammunition. Nor did it advocate violence, even in self defense. Instead, the ad only offered information gun control, and linked to a page where I discussed the ineffectiveness of gun control laws.
What is sad here is that Google has taken it upon themselves to censor free speech about a political issue (gun rights). Google does not prevent the anti-gun-rights lobby from advertising. They do not prevent hard liqueur sellers from advertising. But they did choose to prevent me from peacefully advocating for the Second Amendment of the United States constitution.
For shame! Have you tried Microsoft or Yahoo/Overture ads? Maybe they're not as restrictive as the Evil Empire™ of the interwebs.
I just might have to try Microsoft or Yahoo… but since so many people use Google and only Google, I worry about effectiveness of the ad campaign.
Google AdWords also censored our site which deals with the issues of (against) Islamic terrorism
I just installed the NRA-ILA toolbar that lets users donate money to the NRA simply by using the toolbar, searching, and buying. The search engine used is Yahoo! Search. I was trying to configure it to use Google but Google was not listed as an option. I then did a search on Google’s 2nd Amendment policy because I wondered if that had anything to do with that or if Yahoo! Search has a exclusion policy as it competes with Google. I am disappointed with Google’s stance on 2nd Amendment Rights. It saddens me to know that probably many of the same employees hold the same stance, ignorant of history. If the search engine did not work so well, I would not hesitate to give it up. Needless to say, I will make Yahoo! Search my #1 engine and Google #2.