Google targets explicit album cover for censorship in fresh clampdown
Google has expanded its battle against sexually explicit content by instructing Drowned in Sound (DiiS), a popular music website, to pixelate explicit album cover art.
Images depicting nudity have been targeted for the censor’s brush to comply with restrictions on its advertising network, forcing websites which rely on Google for their income to comply.
In a terse instruction Google told the music platform, which generates 28.5m page views a year, to obscure the offending content forthwith or face ejection from the advertising platform within days.
DiS founder Sean Adams commented ‘… it seems crazy that they feel they can police our editorial’, questioning where such censorship might lead in future.
Amongst the album covers to fall foul of the new rules are Sigur Rós’ 2008 album, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust – which shows a group of naked runners bearing their backsides. OH (Ohio) by Lambchop meanwhile has been given a new pixelated look for its depiction of two naked lovers reclining in bed.
In a statement a Google spokesperson said: “Our policies for websites make clear that we will not serve ads to websites with adult or mature content. This policy has been in place for a long time and nothing has changed recently.”
Last month Google issued a warning to advertisers informing them that ads, informing them that content ‘promoting graphic depictions of sexual acts’ would no longer be accepted.