In an effort to supposedly protect young people from accessing questionable, pornographic material through Google and its Image Search without age verification, German media group “Huch Medien GmbH” has filed court papers demanding that Arcor, the second-largest phone line provider in Germany, block access to Google. The papers were filed this week at the District Court of Frankfurt.
Huch themselves operate an adult website at amateurstar.de (we’re not going to link to that), and state that they will simply not sit back and watch Google’s image search display pornographic images for users of all ages who enter terms that would pull up such images. They also make the claim that “clearly prohibited animal pornography” can be viewed through the search engine.
Huch also claims that Arcor, as an internet access provider, should be aware that these websites are widely used, and are in a sense aiding and abetting Google in its “horrible breaches committed on these terrible websites.” Huch claims to have reported the matter to Arcor on November 20, and gave them time to comply with their wishes to block Google. Naturally, Arcor hasn’t complied, and who would honestly expect them to without any kind of a court order? Huch says they’ve received no response, and did not respond to a formal demand from their lawyer to cease and desist. Not happy with the lack of response, Huch decided to take matters to the courts.
Because Huch operates an adult site themselves, their motives are questionable. Are they really concerned about the welfare of youngsters, or, perhaps, are they hoping that in blocking Google.de and Google.com within Germany, their own adult images won’t be able to be accessed through image search, therefore forcing Germans who wish to view those images to visit their site and pay for them? It makes you wonder…
