Controversial Blog In New Zealand Shut Down By Google.

Internet giant Google has finally caved in to complaints and shut down a controversial website that posted a death threat against a New Zealand politician.

Authorities in New Zealand have complained to Google for weeks about the cyfs weblog, critical of the country's government-run Child Youth and Family (CYF) service. CYF, part of the Ministry of Social Development, is responsible for removing children from homes for care and protection.

The weblog, cyfswatch, had called on people angry at CYF to post messages containing personal information about individual social workers.

In January the ministry called in police amid fears the site was putting some of its staff at risk and a complaint was made to Google.

Following the complaint the internet company censored postings on the site, but allowed the blog, which was created on Google's blogging platform, to continue operating.

However, that situation changed after the site posted blogs threatening a politician.

With New Zealand's so-called anti-smacking bill, which would make it an offence for parents to strike their children, going before parliament, postings to the site were critical of Green MP Sue Bradford who introduced the bill.

****** So it looks like even in places other than China, Google is not beyond censoring postings and shutting down blogs outright under political pressure. Read the entire report from THE AGE, HERE
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An interesting read: HERE