I’ve been thinking lately about the empire building of Google. Taking the capitalistic way is sure proving “fruitful” for them.

So the acquisition of YouTube had me crank up the way (not way, WAY) back machine and consider a trend I have noticed.

About a year ago, I recall discussions over on Little Green Footballs on Google not accepting the ads a conservative organization wanted to place. Other comments around that time mentioned some conservative ads not being accepted, either. The people who had tried to advertise there did not ads for gay and lesbian and leftist groups showing up.

Later, it seemed some people noticed the results of searches left out topics specifically discussed or posted on some of the larger conservative blogs. Interesting…

Then, Google responded to the Chinese Government’s request to block content headed for China by doing what China wanted: Censoring.

Michele Malkin, most noticably, recently noted some of her YouTube postings, all very right wing in nature, were dropped from that site. Other video clips, such as the recent lampooning of the Clinton Administration’s policy carried out with North Korea over the development of nuclear weapons, has been blocked as “offensive.”
Update: A rather embarassing YouTube post of Harry Reid hanging up in an investigative reporter has been pulled. “Copyright infringement.” Yeah, right. Take a look around YouTube and thousands of clips from movies or TV are there.
This “educational video” regarding the aftermath of the physics of missile attacks on Red Cross Ambulances in Lebanon has also been removed, and the poster threatened with having his account shutdown on YouTube.

Why does this matter?

Google owns Blooger Some of you may have heard of this site, and a few of you may even use it…:)

What if one morning, you get settled with your cup of coffee, and click on the link to your blog’s control panel and get a message like: “404 Site Not Found?” Then when you check email, you find out your entire blog has been deemed offensive and therefore deleted….

I hope I’m wrong, but, for those using a free service, with a demonstrated propensity of denying access to conservative content, you have been warned….

I don’t really have any objection to a business setting standards, after all, they aren’t the US Government, obligated to let you have your free speech. I just am not sure the path they seem to be headed down is one I think will tolerate conservative and Christian content much longer.

(Hint: if you’re serious, get your own domain and hosting…it’s not that much)