SafeSearch
{{Short description|Google search feature}}
SafeSearch is a feature in Google Search and Google Images, and later, Bing, that acts as an automated filter of pornography and other potentially offensive and inappropriate content.{{Cite web|url=https://www.geek.com/news/google-let-you-lock-safesearch-with-strict-mode-975131/|title=Google lets you lock SafeSearch with Strict mode|last=Humphries|first=Matthew|date=November 12, 2009|website=Geek.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405074846/https://www.geek.com/news/google-let-you-lock-safesearch-with-strict-mode-975131/|archive-date=April 5, 2019|url-status=live|access-date=April 5, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://searchengineland.com/google-updates-safesearch-filter-in-image-search-142330|title=Google Updates SafeSearch Filter In Image Search|last=Schwartz|first=Barry|date=December 12, 2012|website=Search Engine Land|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729073701/http://searchengineland.com/google-updates-safesearch-filter-in-image-search-142330|archive-date=July 29, 2017|url-status=live|access-date=April 5, 2019}}
History
On November 11th, 2009, Google introduced the ability for users with Google Accounts to lock on the SafeSearch level in Google's web and image searches. Once configured, a password is required to change the setting.
On December 12, 2012, Google removed the option to turn off the filter entirely, requiring users to enter more specific search queries to access adult content.{{cite web |author=Newton |first=Casey |author-link=Casey Newton |date=December 12, 2012 |title=Google tweaks image search to make porn harder to find |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57558795-93/google-tweaks-image-search-to-make-porn-harder-to-find/ |access-date=February 3, 2013 |publisher=CNET News |archive-date=August 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827100933/https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/google-tweaks-image-search-to-make-porn-harder-to-find/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://thenextweb.com/google/2012/12/12/google-changes-search-image-safesearch-explicit/ |title=Google tweaks image search algorithm and SafeSearch option to show less explicit content |date=December 12, 2012 |author=Matthew Panzarino |publisher=TNW |access-date=February 3, 2013 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207135738/https://thenextweb.com/news/google-changes-search-image-safesearch-explicit |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.webpronews.com/google-preventing-u-s-users-from-disabling-safesearch-2012-12 |title=Google No Longer Allows You to Disable SafeSearch, and That Makes Google Search Worse |date=December 16, 2012 |author=Josh Wolford |publisher=Web Pro News |access-date=February 3, 2013 |archive-date=September 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914063310/https://www.webpronews.com/google-preventing-u-s-users-from-disabling-safesearch-2012-12/ |url-status=live }}
SafeSearch can be enforced by local area network administrators and ISPs by adding a DNS record. This is often done on school networks to prevent students from accessing pornographic content.{{Cite web|title=Lock SafeSearch for devices & networks you manage - Google Search Help|url=https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/186669?hl=en|access-date=2021-01-30|website=Google Help |archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207140214/https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/186669?hl=en|url-status=live}}{{cite web | url=https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/safesearch-indonesia-ministry-instructs-isps-restrict-pornography-search-engines-tomorrow/ | title=SafeSearch on: Indonesia IT Ministry instructs all ISPs to restrict pornography from search engines by tomorrow | Coconuts | access-date=July 15, 2022 | archive-date=July 30, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730141922/https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/safesearch-indonesia-ministry-instructs-isps-restrict-pornography-search-engines-tomorrow/ | url-status=live }}
Users themselves can turn this setting on to filter out any inappropriate content.{{Cite web |title=Your SafeSearch Setting |url=https://www.google.com/safesearch |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Google News}}
Effectiveness
A report by Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society stated that SafeSearch excluded many innocuous websites from search-result listings, including ones created by the White House, IBM, the American Library Association and Liz Claiborne.{{cite web|url=http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/archived_content/people/edelman/google-safesearch/|title=Empirical Analysis of Google SafeSearch|author=Benjamin Edelman|date=April 14, 2003|publisher=Harvard University|access-date=February 3, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304235802/http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/archived_content/people/edelman/google-safesearch/|url-status=live}}
On the other hand, many pornographic images slip through the filter, even when "innocent" search terms are entered.
Blacklisting certain search terms is hindered by homographs (e.g., "beaver"),{{cite web |date=January 12, 2010 |title=Canada's The Beaver magazine renamed to end porn mix-up |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hJrLjBHj_y8G7OFPAZZmOhUL10Bw |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305085824/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hJrLjBHj_y8G7OFPAZZmOhUL10Bw |archive-date=March 5, 2014 |access-date=February 3, 2013 |publisher=AFP}} blacklisting certain URLs is rendered ineffective by the changing URLs of porn sites, and software to tag images with copious amounts of flesh tones as pornographic content is problematic because there are a variety of skin tones and pictures of babies tend to have a lot of flesh tones.{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-269290.html|title=Porn sneaks past search filters|author=Paul Festa|date=July 2, 2001|publisher=CNET News|access-date=February 3, 2013|archive-date=July 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701144916/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-269290.html|url-status=live}}
Google's ability to filter porn has been an important factor in its relationship with the People's Republic of China.{{cite news|url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/776541/applications-google-porn-filter-gained-china-s-thumbs-up.html|title=Google porn filter gained China's thumbs-up|last1=Fletcher|first1=Owen|date=September 7, 2009|work=Network World|access-date=July 7, 2014|archive-date=October 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026173614/https://www.networkworld.com/article/2249577/google-porn-filter-gained-china-s-thumbs-up.html|url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}