For Google, Freedom Of Speech Only When It Won't Hurt The Bottom Line

Google has found itself in the middle of controversy as a result of a racially offensive picture of Michelle Obama that appeared when users searched for images of the U.S. first lady. The image appeared at the top of the Google Images results for "Michelle Obama".

A spokesman for Google, Scott Rubin, would initially not give details on how the image - which parked fury in the blogosphere - ended up as the top result for the wife of President Barack Obama. The picture first surfaced earlier this month, when it was removed because the site hosting it violated Google guidelines by spreading malware.

But the image then reappeared on another site, apparently untainted by malware, meaning Google was bound by its own rules not to meddle with the search, according to technology analysts. Instead, Google placed a notice over the picture titled "Offensive Search Results", saying: "Sometimes our search results can be offensive. We agree."

The shockingly doctored image of Obama immediately created a flurry of interest-- mainly negative-- and that sent the image shooting up Google's rankings.

A website's ranking in its search results relies heavily on computer algorithms, using thousands of factors to calculate a page's relevance to a given query. However, Google says it does not remove images simply because it receives complaints. "Google views the integrity of our search results as an extremely important priority," a spokesman said. "Accordingly, we do not remove a page from our search results simply because its content is unpopular or because we receive complaints concerning it." [Note from the Daily Dude: lofty principles, perhaps-- but in the pursuit of the almighty dollar, Google still continues to facilitate China's censorship of the internet for over a billion of it citizens.]

The White House has declined to comment.