Google's Retarded Censorship Machine Doesn't like My Opinions
The most prolific distributor of lies and propaganda on the entire planet says my inane takes are harmful.
- By Steven Cleamer
- 08.15.2023
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AdSense has been blasting my e-mail lately with the lamest grievances regarding content on Mental Discharge. They not only have declined to serve ads on certain articles, but have restricted ads in general across the entire site. Their issues range from "adult content" to material that is "dangerous or derogatory." Derogatory? Sure, I'll take it. Adult? Eh, this ain't exactly a kid's site. Dangerous? Only if you're reading this on your phone while driving.
Their most recent complaint, sent a couple days ago, was filed under "unreliable and harmful claims." Okay, them's fightin' words.
This isn't their first beef with me, though. After the highly anticipated debut of Kawk Rings by Tad in 2010, our AdSense account was immediately disabled for promoting and selling sex toys. Neither accusation was remotely true as the article only featured a collection of silly names for goofy 3D-rendered images of objects attached to floating bananas. They weren't real products and never offered for sale. The suggestion is an excellent idea, though.
At the time, you could resolve these matters with a real human being through messages. After a brief back and forth with a condescending arbitrator, we came to an agreement that minor changes to the article would put Google's concerns to rest. The word "kawk" was used instead of cock and we replaced further references to rings as "rooster wear." It didn't really diminish the piece, Google seemed happy with it and reactivated our AdSense account, and life went on. Kawk Rings by Tad 2 launched a couple years later without a peep from them.
Sadly, times have changed. Google's qualms with fake bananas transpired over a decade ago in an era preceding the commercialization of censorship. Today, I'm required to completely remove content they interpret as offensive without the ability to contest or deliberate. Their policy center explains that questioning an election, being against the vaccine, and contradicting scientific consensus on climate change are just some of the examples that fall under the umbrella of horribly frightening ideas nobody should dare to have.
This makes sense. Expressing disagreement with established norms, holding opinions that diverge from corporate narratives, and refusing to align with corrupt governmental bodies are now handled by complex algorithms on numerous platforms. It also explains why MD is no longer showing up naturally on Google whatsoever, despite being readily discoverable on virtually every other search engine. Likewise, Google's Search Console consistently offers vague technical jargon regarding the lack of indexing for certain pages and offers pointless solutions that don't fix the problem.
There is also an inconsistency, a bias if you will, to what Google finds troublesome. It doesn't like Meet Your YouTube Commenters because of the offensive trolling and shitposting left by actual users of YouTube, but doesn't have an issue with me quoting Eric Cartman's contempt for Jewish people in Six Silly Sanctimonies of Censorship. AdSense is back to having a problem with Kawk Rings by Tad, but has no reservation serving ads featuring women showing off huge titties that link to spam sites featuring "20 of the most epic beach fails."
Currently, MD isn't relying on ads and as such, they don't hold much significance. Nonetheless, the irony is downright comical coming from a company that used to take pride in not being evil. Google brands my content as harmful while major mainstream media outlets globally churn out endless streams of easily disprovable lies presented as facts. The torrent of garbage they publish on a daily basis affects millions of people, yet these sites are fully decked out with non-restrictive and totally working Google advertising. I'm just some random guy who thinks masks are stupid and having that position will probably kill the ads on this article as well.
Claims and opinions are not always the same. I'm not an expert at anything. I hold no degrees. I can be wrong, certainly disagreed with, and called out on it. The About section of MD literally states that each article represents the immature ramblings of its author, built upon personal misadventures in a bewildering world that we pretend to understand, but really don't.
Sure, AdSense sets the rules for playing in their backyard. If I don't like it, alternative search engines and much smaller platforms exist where Mental Discharge's content can attempt to flourish. However, Google says that I, Steven Cleamer, intrepid nobody, could significantly undermine public trust with my dangerously hot takes. Public trust? Moi? The largest disinformation company in the world that has silenced medical professionals, politicians, movie stars, radio hosts, and television personalities holds me in this incredibly high esteem when I can't even get DoorDash to show up with my dinner on time.
It's not Google's job to determine an opinion as harmful. That's up to you. You're a grown-ass adult capable of doing that completely on your own. I won't argue that a potential advertiser might have a problem seeing their product or service appear on Anal Beads are for Fat, Lazy, Stupid People. Still, Google getting upset I quoted an N-bomb from a sniveling adolescent Call of Duty player suffering from Asperger's while ads freely appear on an article whining about how sleeping is racist because white people do more of it is fucking retarded.