Google has become one of the largest distributors of ads online - but their policies stipulate that none of the ads served through them nor the sites linked to by the ads can advocate "against other individuals, groups, or organizations." That covers an awful lot of ground, doesn't it? Almost any "issue" ad that editorializes would be excluded - including quite a lot of ads in the upcoming election season. This has potentially negative consequences for free speech online.

Business Week explains:

Legally, it seems that Google and other search engines have no clear obligation to accept such ads -- or any other type, for that matter -- so its actions [don't violate any] right to free speech. Even so [this] highlights key issues for Google and other search engines that will only become more inflamed as such sites grow and prosper. Namely, commerce and conflict sit poorly on the same Web page. Likewise, control and transparency often exist as opposing forces.

"Google can make choices about what people see and what they don't see, and how it's ordered," says John Palfrey, executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. "As more and more people use Google to access the Internet, that definitely raises some important policy questions." ... A Google experience won't contain offensive or contentious language, at least on the advertising side. And it won't make anyone uncomfortable. But I'm not at all convinced that excising potential sources of conflict or heated debate will serve Google or the Internet well in the long run.

In other media, refusing advertisements on policy grounds is extremely rare unless those ads are clearly lewd, gross, or otherwise a public nuisance. ... At the very least, Google and other Web companies owe their surfers more information about what they do and why they do it. "The general rule should be one of transparency -- that someone should know what they don't know," says Palfrey. He thinks a good start might be some type of disclosure system whereby Google or other Web search engines list the organizations they have refused to sell ads to.

Google has become one of the largest portals for people trying to find information on the web - and that's no surprise, because it does a generally good job at leading people to what they need. Still, how many realize what sorts of editorial restrictions exist at Google over what they see? Google may have the right to impose whatever restrictions they wish, but not all such restrictions are necessarily a very good idea.

Google's AdWords are served here on this site - on pretty much every page. Many atheist-oriented ads may be eliminated by Google because they appear to "advocate against" theism generally or any particular religion, like Christianity. What might you be missing out on because of Google's efforts not to offend or make anyone feel uncomfortable? I could understand not wanting to carry an ad that says "Christianity sucks! Down with Jesus!," but Google's policies would also apply to something that says "Learn more about the errors of Christianity," and that's not reasonable.

Read More:

• Recent Books on Free Speech
• Court Decisions on Free Speech and Censorship