Date: July 20, 2006 12:18:21 AM PDT
Subject: [SPY NEWS] German experts think search engines should be monitored
German experts think search engines should be monitored
5 July, 2006
Freedom of speech | Freedom to publish
During the workshop "The Rising Power of Search-Engines on the Internet: Impacts on Users, Media Policy, and Media Business" that took place in Berlin on 26-27 June 2006, the experts expressed the opinion that the search engines should be more regulated.
Marcel Machill, a lecturer in journalism at Germany's Leipzig and Dortmund universities stated that Google along with Yahoo and MSN were the main source of information searches for 90% of the Germans, Google alone accounting for 70%. He expressed serious concern related to the power of the search engines that would be unconceivable in the classic media. Machill as well as other experts considers Google should have the same responsibility as other publishers not to allow access to illegal sites, such as those with neo-Nazi content or x-rated ones and that mechanisms must be created to protect children online and to address illegal content.
"Even if not targeted directly, browsing, surfing, or following suggestions from search engines may lead to material containing unwanted, troublesome, offensive, as well as surprising or amusing material. To be able to profit from this opportunity, while still allowing for the protection of children and for selective approaches to information gathering and communication, is one of the most important tasks in further developing the internet." said Machill.
Machill also added that last year, the German subsidiaries of search engine operators agreed to voluntarily filter sites with x-rated content or those that incite to violence out of their results lists and that the Government had to know how the search companies operate and had to regulate them if necessary.
However, according to Norbert Schneider, director of the North Rhine Westphalia, the voluntary obligation to filter sites will have no effect considering it just a "weak regulation without any sanctions".
Machill also suggested the foundation of a public corporation in Europe to counterbalance the power of the US search engines.
Google's position was expressed by public relations head Rachel Whetstone who reaffirmed that the search engine was no newspaper or broadcasting company and that they only applied an algorithm. She also stated that while Google observed the local laws regarding the results displayed, they did not wish to be the ones to decide on what people were supposed to see or not.
The Rising Power of Search-Engines on the Internet: Impacts on Users, Media Policy, and Media Business
German Experts Criticize Google's Power (28.06.2006)
German experts want search engines to be monitored (30.06.2006)
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Something is new at Yahoo! Groups. Check out the enhanced email design.
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
-__ ___ _ ___ __ ___ _ _ _ __
/-_|-0-\-V-/-\|-|-__|-|-|-/-_|
\_-\--_/\-/|-\\-|-_||-V-V-\_-\
|__/_|--//-|_|\_|___|\_A_/|__/
SPY NEWS is OSINT newsletter and discussion list associated to
Mario's Cyberspace Station - The Global Intelligence News Portal
Since you are receiving and reading documents, news stories,
comments and opinions not only from so called (or self-proclaimed)
"reliable sources", but also a lot of possible misinformation collected
by Spy News moderator and subscribers and posted to Spy News
for OSINT purposes - it should be a serious reason (particularly to
journalists and web publishers) to think twice before using it for their
story writing, further publishing or forwarding throughout Cyberspace.
To unsubscribe:
*** FAIR USE NOTICE: This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Spy News is making it available without profit to SPY NEWS members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We always mention the author and link the original site and page of every article. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
For more information go to:
SPY NEWS home page:
Mario Profaca
mario.profaca[at]zg.htnet.hr
SPY NEWS owner, editor
and discussion moderator
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
