Vanished

30 Pages Posted: 16 Sep 2013

See all articles by Jane R. Bambauer

Jane R. Bambauer

University of Florida Levin College of Law; University of Florida - College of Journalism & Communication; University of Arizona - James E. Rogers College of Law

Derek E. Bambauer

University of Florida Levin College of Law

Date Written: September 2013

Abstract

This Article identifies a gap between American free speech rhetoric and practice. We analyze data recently released by Google describing the official requests or demands to remove content made to the company by governments around the world between 2010 and 2012. Controlling for Internet penetration and Google’s relative market share in each country, we find that the international trends are not consistent with conventional wisdom. For example, the United States produces more removal demands based on allegedly defamatory content than most other countries, and vastly more than would be expected from the country responsible for New York Times v. Sullivan. Moreover, despite its reputation for being weak on privacy law, America’s removal demands based on privacy are nearly identical to the European Union’s. The results presented in this Article challenge long-held assumptions that American free speech values curb the country’s appetite for censorship.

Keywords: free speech, Google, content removal requests, defamatory content, privacy law, censorship

Suggested Citation

Yakowitz Bambauer, Jane R. and Bambauer, Derek E., Vanished (September 2013). 18 Virginia Journal of Law and Technology, 2014, Forthcoming, Arizona Legal Studies Discussion Paper No. 13-46, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2326236

Jane R. Yakowitz Bambauer (Contact Author)

University of Florida Levin College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 117625
Gainesville, FL 32611-7625
United States

University of Florida - College of Journalism & Communication ( email )

United States

University of Arizona - James E. Rogers College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 210176
Tucson, AZ 85721-0176
United States

Derek E. Bambauer

University of Florida Levin College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 117625
Gainesville, FL 32611-7625
United States
3522730957 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.law.ufl.edu/faculty/derek-bambauer

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