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Google Israel Director Meir Brand. (Motti Kimche) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 21:30 12/11/2007 Head of Google Israel refuses to censor hate material on the Web By The Associated Press Tags: anti-Semitism, Google, Israel  Google is not the address for stopping online hate, the Israel director of the well known search engine told a conference on Monday. Organizers of the conference representing the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish group that counters anti-Semitism, brought examples of anti-Jewish hate material freely available on the Internet, and participants called for more action to stop it. But Google Israel Director Meir Brand explained his company's free-access philosophy that puts it on the sidelines of the war against cyberhate. Advertisement "At Google, we have a bias in favor of people's right to free expression," he said. "Google is not and should not become the central arbiter of what does and does and does not appear on the Web. That's for elected governments and courts to decide," Brand said. He said Google removes results from its search index only when required to by law, for example, when copyright infringement is an issue. In Germany and Austria, he said, Google removes Nazi content, which is against the law there. Recognizing the problem, however, Google has instituted a warning system for hate entries, taking viewers to a page warning that some of the search results may be offensive, and noting that opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Google's views. "The problem with using law to combat hate speech online is that technology changes so quickly," said Brian Marcus, director of Internet monitoring for ADL North America. "By the time the law is amended to prohibit certain sites," he said, "those sites have changed names and addresses." "The law is simply one tool in the toolbox for dealing with hate speech," said Christopher Wolf, chairman of the International Network Against Cyberhate. "We [also] need the voluntary cooperation of the Internet industry." "I applaud the efforts of Google," he said, but he called for more. He said social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have been accused of hosting racist and religiously offensive content, and that must be dealt with. Avi Aviv, head of the Israeli police computer crimes unit, said the law has not yet adapted to the many types of cybercrime, including hate speech that leads to violent acts. "The traditional 'scene of the crime' is changing," Aviv said. "In the past there were street gangs [who] rumbled. Today, these rumbles take place on the Internet." Related articles: ADL warns Web users not to sign petition against anti-Semitic site Israelis run anti-Jewish Web sites American-Muslim blog promotes Lebanese Jewish community More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us Blast from the past The donkey is making a comeback as the prevalent form of transportation in Gaza. U.S. anti-Semitism The ZOA condemns the U.S. government for failing to protect Jewish students.   1.   What the ADL does not understand 21:07  |  Natallie Durson 12/11/07   2.   Is there any subject you do not feel the urge to stick your 21:38  |  Mendeleyev 12/11/07   3.   The problem with censorship 22:04  |  dana 12/11/07   4.   Natalie - Don`t you ever shut up? 22:04  |  Ben 12/11/07   5.   let`s see those examples of "anti-Jewish hate" 22:07  |  Clickfool 12/11/07   6.   Good for Google! 22:27  |  Jesse Holmes 12/11/07   7.   ADL Orwellian Thought Police 22:27  |  American 12/11/07   8.   Keep rattling the bars of the gorilla cages, Natallie! 22:38  |  Clickfool 12/11/07   9.   Google is rather selective in its politics 22:40  |  Raymond from DC 12/11/07   10.   Google me 22:44  |  socalmaverick 12/11/07   11.   Go Google! Now go and tell China you won`t censor for them too 22:58  |  Pablo B 12/11/07   12.   I`M A RESEARCHER OF HATE CRIMES AGAINST G-D`S PEOPLE &NEED GOOGLE 23:07  |  VOICE)))))))) 12/11/07   13.   Haaretz war against Google 23:16  |  Dov 12/11/07   14.   Just a few Zionist definitions of "hate" 23:36  |  Chanalau, Tova 12/11/07   15.   One question to Meir... 23:47  |  bat yam 12/11/07   16.   If you type the word Jew into googles 00:23  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/11/07   17.   to ADL: the entire Israel is an illegal occupation and apartheid 00:56  |  nobodysacred 13/11/07   18.   breasts and fallon gong: no way - kill the Jews: ok 00:59  |  don 13/11/07   19.   The Anti Democratic Liberties (ADL) Should Be Censored 01:09  |  Mr. Knowitall 13/11/07   20.   Raymond from DCInternational law or lebensraum law? 01:11  |  American in NY 13/11/07   21.   Google censors in China! 02:28  |  Gili 13/11/07   22.   dana # 3 More problems with censorship. It is selective. 02:50  |  American in NY 13/11/07   23.   What Zionists Don`t Want You To Know 03:59  |  Pastor Zachary Thorn 13/11/07   24.   bat yam # 15 one question to bat brain 04:01  |  American in NY 13/11/07   25.   Head of Googles refuses to censor hate material 04:03  |  Sam Popack 13/11/07   26.   Gili # 18 freedom of speech means exactly that 04:07  |  American in NY 13/11/07   27.   google 04:26  |  Shmuelshachor 13/11/07   28.   American in NY #19 - wow - much to say 05:01  |  dana 13/11/07   29.   American in NY #19 - wow, much to say (2nd try) 09:04  |  dana 13/11/07   30.   gili montreal re hate literaure 11:35  |  realism 13/11/07   31.   Natalie Durson #1 22:57  |  Stranger on da shore 13/11/07   32.   #1 Nutali 23:06  |  51 shekels 13/11/07   33.   #8 Clickfool 23:08  |  51 shekels 13/11/07   34.   51 Worthless shitkels # 32 re Natalie Durstan 04:27  |  American in NY 14/11/07   35.   Google censorship 16:44  |  tony weese 21/12/07

Today Online Rosner: Reform prayer services - hijacked by spoiled Bar Mitzvah families Responses: 8 Attempt to exchange messages between Israel and Syria fails Responses: 22 U.S. envoy: Peace education is the only way to end this conflict Responses: 33 Ramon: 70 MKs support settler compensation plan Responses: 41 Two IDF troops lightly hurt; Israel sets terms for truce Responses: 87 Rosner's Domain Hijacked by the demanding, spoiled Bar Mitzvah families Rosner's Guest: deNazify the Palestinian culture New poll: A cease-fire with Hamas - good or bad idea? Jews to the rescue in Chad (What to Read) More Headlines 15:17 Two IDF troops lightly hurt as Israel mulls truce offer 12:52 Ramon: 70 MKs support paying settlers to evacuate voluntarily 15:52 Hezbollah: U.S. proposal on presidential crisis threat to stability 07:16 Attempt to exchange messages between Israel and Syria fails 16:17 State of Judaism / Celebration, prayer, study and Saturday 16:19 Rice welcomes Israeli decision to nix building plan in East J'lem 07:33 Jewish Agency to appoint first ever Christian board member 10:28 Outgoing senior FM official calls for military pact with Washington 03:59 ANALYSIS: Is a truce between Israel and Hamas possible? 07:42 Gov't planning to close most ulpans, privatize Hebrew studies Previous Editions Select Day 20 dec 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec 14 dec 13 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec 07 dec

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