Official Google Blog: policy and issues

Trip report: Google and YouTube in Iraq

October 26, 2010

(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog)TFBSOPictures taken by the Google/YouTube team in Iraq: Harry Wingo (Policy), Carrie Farrell (Google.org), Debu Purkayastha (Corp Dev), Olivia Ma (YouTube), Mary Himinkool (Business Development) and Steve Grove (YouTube).submitted questionsAl ArabiyaGoogle Translate

Posted by Mary Himinkool, New Business Development, and Olivia Ma, YouTube News & Politics

Creating stronger privacy controls inside Google

October 22, 2010

(Cross-posted on the Public Policy and European Public Policy Blogs)
announced

First, people: we have appointed Alma Whitten as our director of privacy across both engineering and product management. Her focus will be to ensure that we build effective privacy controls into our products and internal practices. Alma is an internationally recognized expert in the computer science field of privacy and security. She has been our engineering lead on privacy for the last two years, and we will significantly increase the number of engineers and product managers working with her in this new role.

Second, training: All our employees already receive orientation training on Google’s privacy principles and are required to sign Google’s Code of Conduct, which includes sections on privacy and the protection of user data. However, to ensure we do an even better job, we’re enhancing our core training for engineers and other important groups (such as product management and legal) with a particular focus on the responsible collection, use and handling of data. In addition, starting in December, all our employees will also be required to undertake a new information security awareness program, which will include clear guidance on both security and privacy.

Third, compliance: While we’ve made important changes to our internal compliance procedures in the last few years, we need to make further changes to reflect the fact that we are now a larger company. So we’re adding a new process to our existing review system, in which every engineering project leader will be required to maintain a privacy design document for each initiative they are working on. This document will record how user data is handled and will be reviewed regularly by managers, as well as by an independent internal audit team.

Posted by Alan Eustace, Senior VP, Engineering & Research

Taking rogue pharmacies to court

September 21, 2010

filed suit last year against “Google Money” scammersPosted by Michael Zwibelman, Litigation Counsel

Your questions on the future of Iraq

September 21, 2010

(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog)Al Arabiyayoutube.com/alarabiya

Posted by Olivia Ma, News Manger, YouTube

Tools to visualize access to information

September 20, 2010

Transparency ReportMainland China service availability chart

a websiteGovernment Requests maphere
Update Jan 11, 2011: The Transparency Report is now available in each of the 6 U.N. languages—Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), French, Russian, Spanish and English.

Posted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

How would you advance online free expression?

August 12, 2010

Cross-posted on the YouTube blog.Central European Universityelection protestsgovernment whistleblowinggrassroots advocacysubmit"What's the biggest barrier to free expression on the Internet, and what would you do to overcome it?" hereCitizenTubePosted by Bob Boorstin, Public Policy, and Steve Grove, YouTube News and Politics

Facts about our network neutrality policy proposal

August 12, 2010

Cross-posted on our Public Policy Blog.announcementMYTH: Google has “sold out” on network neutrality.leading corporate voiceMYTH: This proposal represents a step backwards for the open Internet.for the first timeenforceable rules

Newly enforceable FCC standards

Prohibitions against blocking or degrading wireline Internet traffic

Prohibition against discriminating against wireline Internet traffic in ways that harm users or competition

Presumption against all forms of prioritizing wireline Internet traffic

Full transparency across wireline and wireless broadband platforms

Clear FCC authority to adjudicate user complaints, and impose injunctions and fines against bad actors

MYTH: This proposal would eliminate network neutrality over wireless.helped persuadebusiness modelMYTH: This proposal will allow broadband providers to “cannibalize” the public Internet.

First, the broadband provider must fully comply with the consumer protection and nondiscrimination standards governing its Internet access service before it could pursue any of these other online service opportunities.

Second, these services must be “distinguishable in purpose and scope” from Internet access, so that they cannot over time supplant the best effort Internet.

Third, the FCC retains its full capacity to monitor these various service offerings, and to intervene where necessary to ensure that robust, unfettered broadband capacity is allocated to Internet access.

MYTH: Google is working with Verizon on this because of Android.blog postjoint FCC filingop-edMYTH: Two corporations legislating the future of the Internet.SenatorsRepresentativesPosted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel

An update on China

June 28, 2010

Update July 9: We are very pleased that the government has renewed our ICP license and we look forward to continuing to provide web search and local products to our users in China.(original post)Google.com.hklanding page on Google.cnGoogle.com.hkPosted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

YouTube wins case against Viacom

June 23, 2010

(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog)
grantedUPDATE 2:12PMPosted by Kent Walker, Vice President and General Counsel

The power of human rights video

June 12, 2010

George Polk prize for journalisma series of postsWITNESSPosted by Steve Grove, Head of News & Politics, YouTube

Working with AdMob to move mobile advertising forward

May 21, 2010

clearedacquisition of AdMobsupportPosted by Susan Wojcicki, Vice President of Product Management

Honoring those who give voice to the silenced

May 6, 2010

Global Voices"Breaking Borders" awards

Global Voices SummitKubatana.net
BOSCO - Uganda
The Philippines Center for Investigative Journalismwebsiteblogdatabase siteTwitterYouTubePosted by Bob Boorstin, Director, Public Policy

Greater transparency around government requests

April 20, 2010

Universal Declaration on Human RightsGovernment Requests toolRead this postGlobal Network InitiativePosted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

Controversial content and free expression on the web: a refresher

April 19, 2010

our approach to removing contentcensoringOpen Net InitiativeintentionsUniversal Declaration of Human Rights“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”Searchchillingeffects.orgBerkman Center for Internet and SocietyPlatforms that host contentBlogger Content PolicyYouTubeCommunity GuidelinesHere’s a videoads productspoliciesPosted by Rachel Whetstone, Vice President, Global Communications and Public Affairs

Our stand for digital due process

March 30, 2010

GracelandTaylor SwiftDigital Due Process

Better protect your data stored online: The government must first get a search warrant before obtaining any private communications or documents stored online;

Better protect your location privacy: The government must first get a search warrant before it can track the location of your cell phone or other mobile communications device;

Better protect against monitoring of when and with whom you communicate: The government must demonstrate to a court that the data it seeks is relevant and material to a criminal investigation before monitoring when and with whom you communicate using email, instant messaging, text messaging, the telephone, etc.; and

Better protect against bulk data requests: The government must demonstrate to a court that the information it seeks is needed for a criminal investigation before it can obtain data about an entire class of users.

coalition websitePosted by Richard Salgado, Senior Counsel, Law Enforcement and Information Security

A new approach to China: an update

March 22, 2010

announced on this blogGoogle.com.hkGoogle.com.hkGoogle.com.hkthis new web pageGoogle.com.hkPosted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

Let the Sunshine in

March 19, 2010

Cross-posted on the Google Public Policy Blog.Public=OnlineAmerican Society of News EditorsCleveland Plain Dealer“...government information ought to be made available to the public as quickly as possible, with a minimum of rigmarole and in the easiest, most accessible way possible--which these days means via the Internet.”announced its Public=Online campaign.Data.govOpen CongressOMB WatchPublic Data ExplorerSunlight FoundationDesign for America contest

contest homepagePosted by Ginny Hunt, Head of Google Public Sector Lab

A broadband catapult for America

March 15, 2010

(Cross-posted from the Google Public Policy Blog)
PowerClean waterThe Interstate highway systemnational broadband strategyWestern Europe to East Asiaspace race“putting a man on the moon”reach for the starsultra-high-speed broadband networkamount of supportPosted by Eric Schmidt, CEO

Recognizing courage, securing online freedom

March 11, 2010

Reporters Without BordersWorld Day Against Cyber CensorshipChange for EqualityDavid DrummondGlobal Network InitiativePosted by Robert Boorstin, Director, Public Policy

A new approach to China

January 12, 2010

hereReport to Congress(PDF)analysis(PDF) Nart Villeneuve's blogthiswe made clearUpdate: Added a link to another referenced report in paragraph 5.
Posted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

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