Google Refuses to Remove Videos Showing Police Brutality (VIDEO)
The police do not want people to see videos of them abusing citizens, and at least one law enforcement agency has requested that Google remove specific videos showing police brutality from its search results, according to a transparency report released by the search engine giant.
The transparency report states that a local law enforcement agency attempted to convince Google to remove videos of police brutality from its YouTube database. Google says that the request was turned down.
The tech giant also said that another local law enforcement agency made a request that videos allegedly defaming law enforcement officials be removed, which was also turned down.
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The news of requests for removal of videos showing police brutality comes when police departments around the country have come under criticism for attacking nonviolent protesters taking part in the "Occupy" protests around the country in recent weeks.
In New York City, videos of police officers macing, punching and tackling peaceful protesters have gone viral, such as the video showing NYPD Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna pepper-spraying a young woman who had already been detained.
Police brutality has been on the rise since 9/11, according to 2007 Justice Department statistics.
Civil rights abuses and excessive force at the hands of police officers, prison guards and other law enforcement authorities increased by 25 percent between 2001 and 2007 (281 vs. 224) compared to the previous seven years, USA Today reported.
Ademo Freeman, founder of CopBlock.org, a website that monitors police brutality in the U.S., told The Christian Post Wednesday that law enforcement agencies attempting to prevent videos of brutality from being shown freely to the public is nothing new.
"Police have tried to use different ways of keeping those videos from being seen, whether it's copyright infringement or some other legal route," Freeman said, adding that there have been several instances where police have used intimidation to stop people from recording.
"It's ironic that these people swear an oath to protect the people, but then turn around and do whatever they can to prevent people from seeing what they do wrong," he added.
Freeman, who started CopBlock after his own run-ins with law enforcement, said that recording police abuse is integral to holding police officers accountable and improving law enforcement.
"I'm not a cop-hater," Freeman said. "I just want to see humanity better itself."
