Would Google and Yahoo Geo-Filter Adult Searches?

[Halfdeck]

HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE USE GOOGLE TO LOOK FOR PORN?

LARRY PAGE: It's a small, single-digit percentage. We generally think that having more access is better, as long as you're not a child or overly offended. But we can help people do filtering if that's what they want, though there is no technology that can tell with 100% accuracy if an image or website is pornographic.

Time's Interview dated Feb 12, 2006.

[MeatPounder]

Originally Posted by Halfdeck

HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE USE GOOGLE TO LOOK FOR PORN?

LARRY PAGE: It's a small, single-digit percentage. We generally think that having more access is better, as long as you're not a child or overly offended. But we can help people do filtering if that's what they want, though there is no technology that can tell with 100% accuracy if an image or website is pornographic.

Time's Interview dated Feb 12, 2006.

First that is what they say, but I've read other reports. Plus even if that is accurate a small, single digit percentage could mean 9%

The number of online searches in the U.S. soared to nearly 5.1 billion searches in December from 3.3 billion a year earlier, despite just a slight uptick in the total number of Americans connecting to the Internet, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.

From this story http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/2006...pcworld/124688

So with those numbers and assuming the 9% that is almost 500 million searches for porn in the US alone.

Plus you could twist statistics showing most chilren looking for porn do so by search engine.

Sure filtering would be hard, and there is no way for every search term to be filtered. But it is the effort that matters.

We take the stand that though we believe the primary reponsibility of what children surf lies with the parents first and foremost, we in the industry are volantarily doing all in our power to help the parents.

The ability to filter is there, the ability to label is there, so what if it is an imperfect solution. At least we would be doing something rather then arguing about what was best and doing nothing waiting for the Federal Goverment to decide what we have to do.