[LINK] Google Re-Direction

[Roger Clarke]

Has anyone seen a good analysis of the games that Google's been playing?

An attempt to call up:
http://www.google.com
results in unannounced re-direction to:
http://www.google.com.au
presumably done on the basis of the IP-address.

I was doing a check on progress with my neologism 'dataveillance' 
during the 15 years since I published the foundation paper.

The first attempt turned up only about 500 pages, all Australian.

By going to the 'Advanced Search' option, it appears to revert to the 
main google site, because it offers a couple of thousand links, from 
many more places than just Australia.

The ability to restrict the search-scope to one's own region is a 
service of considerable value.  That aspect is covered by the option 
that appears at the top of the page.

But enforced restriction or re-direction is a serious policy concern, 
because it's a weapon of censorship, surveillance and control.  And 
it's a lot worse if it's done covertly, as this has been.

Is Google going over to the dark side, as Amazon has done?

(I'm not sure what to think just yet, because if you change the 
option to Australia-only, and then back again, you get the full set, 
even from the .au site.  Maybe they've done some changes recently, 
and stuffed them up?  There doesn't appear to be an email-address for 
making reports to googlers, so I haven't tried contacting them).

-- 
Roger Clarke              http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

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Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program, University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Baker Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre, U.N.S.W
Visiting Fellow in Computer Science, Australian National University