So this week, I made the gods mad — twice.
Of course, when I say the gods, I am speaking of the gods of Silicon Valley, the tech oligarchs on whose mercies we lowly scribes depend.
First, I was informed by Google that I was (maybe) (possibly) (perhaps) in violation of Google AdSense policies regarding “invalid traffic” and that as a result Google was imposing an “ad serving limit” on HeartlandDiaryUSA.com. (More on that in a minute.)
Second, the next day I was informed that Google’s YouTube website was removing a video I had posted of Donald Trump Jr. urging GOP voters to vote in the Jan. 5 Georgia Senate runoff elections.
This was part of Google’s insane policy of banning any video that made a reference to election fraud in the November 3 election.
Here’s what Google told me (very politely!) when they stripped me of my right of free speech:
“We wanted to let you know our team reviewed your content, and we think it violates our spam, deceptive practices and scams policy.”
Wow! How could that be? I just ran a clip of a newsmaker making news, with my commentary added. Google said it needed to remove my video to make sure that YouTube remains “a safe place.” That’s funny. I feel less safe.
Apparently Big Brother, er I mean Google, thinks you and I need to be protected from anyone who might try to sound an alarm that our rights as a US citizen are being stolen. Specifically, according to Google:
“Content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches changed the outcome of the U.S. 2020 presidential election is not allowed on YouTube.”
Funny! Google doesn’t say anything about whether TRUE claims about “widespread fraud, errors or glitches” in the 2020 election will be banned as well, but apparently they are. I only posted TRUE claims, and yet Google shut me down too!
The good news is that I don’t make anything from the videos I post on YouTube because I don’t meet the criteria for monetization, but the ads that Google “restricted” on my website will have a monetary effect on me.
In my case, I quickly discovered that Google’s “ad serving limit” meant that no ads would show up on my website and that therefore I have been effectively demonetized. Of course, I don’t run my website for the few bucks a day I get from Google AdSense. I do it as a labor of love — to help the country I love — but I deeply resent it that other websites with much less value than mine are able to keep their ads while I lose mine without any explanation or transparency.
More important for me is the effect on political discourse, but for some people, they DO depend on their income from Google or YouTube, and it seems like these monopolies are trying to crush free speech by denying people the right to earn a living.
When a Google restricts you, they don’t explain exactly what is wrong with your site. They just refer you to their policies and encourage you to figure it out yourself. After several hours of research I believe that my “violation” is that I post my stories to multiple groups on Facebook, which is considered “spamming.” It isn’t, of course. I am sharing my stories with like-minded readers, and they read my stories to find out what I think. I have no control over which ads they click after visiting my site, but I have no reason to think they are clicking ads in a random or malicious manner, which is what Google suggests is taking place.
Or is Google just trying to pick off a small but effective conservative voice?
Hmmm. What do you think?
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Heartland Diary is solely operated by Frank Miele, the retired editor of the Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell, Montana. If you enjoy reading these daily essays, I hope you will SUBSCRIBE to www.HeartlandDiaryUSA.com by leaving your email address on the home page. Also please consider purchasing one of my books. They are available through the following Amazon links. My new book is “How We Got Here: The Left’s Assault on the Constitution” and is now available in paperback and as an eBook. It is 536 pages long and chock full of research on the progressive movement and the patriotic heroes who have fought against it. My earlier books include “The Media Matrix: What if everything you know is fake?” and the “Why We Needed Trump” trilogy. Part 1 is subtitled “Bush’s Global Failure: Half Right.” Part 2 is “Obama’s Fundamental Transformation: Far Left.” Part 3 is “Trump’s American Vision: Just Right.” As an Amazon Associate, I may earn referral fees for qualifying purchases through links on my website. Also please subscribe to Heartland Diary on YouTube by clicking here for News Every Conservative Can Use.
Awful to say this but retaliation may be the only opportunity. Right now we are haranguing Facebook with gibberish posts that include their trigger-words. I think that all would enjoy your suggestions for nailing Google, Youtube and Facebook.
Thanks Frank for posting this. I have been trying to show my sons (adult children) that censorship by the Tech Giants is an effort to destroy Conservative’s voices and ability to organize. Now I have evidence to share with them.
Lionel Nation host, Michael William Lebron has caused me to lose sleep because he said we can wring our hands, listen to Tucker, Sean Hannity, and Rush, read well written commentaries like yours, Mr. Miele, but if Josh Hawley and Lindsey and all those lawmaker continue to do nothing about these monopolies, we are sunk. Your article was so incredibly sad when I got to the part where you said, “it seems like these monopolies are trying to crush free speech by denying people the right to earn a living.” We need these phony baloney lawmakers to get this fixed instead of wasting time on whatever pet project they have. Besides President Trump getting justice, the Google cabal needs to be fixed immediately. It is appalling that this censorship should happen to you.
Thanks Joe. I’m encouraging readers to subscribe directly here at https://www.HeartlandDiaryUSA.com so I don’t need to depend on Facebook or Twitter to get the word out.