The changing role of nation states in online content governance: A case of Google's handling of government removal requests

Abstract

Building upon previous studies that divide the governance of digital platforms into three eras (Flew, 2021; Bowers & Zittrain, 2020), this study investigates how one of the most influential digital platforms, Google, has handled removal requests from governments. By sketching the regulatory terrain of Google, the current study seeks a more balanced understanding of content moderation. This study selected an exploratory case study approach using Google's Transparency reports and accompanying public data sets relating to governments' content removal requests filed for all Google products from 2009 to 2021. The findings reveal a growing influence of nation states on moderating online content, delineating the surging point as occurring in 2016. In addition to the sheer increase of take‐down requests raised in various areas, since 2016 the trend of government interventions has outpaced those of courts; during the same period, Google, which had been more compliant with court decisions than with governmental entities' requests, showed similar compliance with government requests. The results also demonstrate how the practices of requesting content removal differed by political system while singling out Russia's distinctive characteristics. This study sheds light on our understanding of the role of nation states in shaping online environments in the era of platformization.