Judge: Google Can Deny Ads If It Wants To

The verdict is in: Google, or any other search engine, does not have to accept all advertisements submitted, officially giving search engines editorial control over the content of ads appearing in their network. The judge cited the First Amendment as the biggest reason.

Cyberlaw expert and professor Landgon v. Google today, a lawsuit that named AOL, Yahoo!, and MSN as well. Christopher Langdon filed suit in May of last year after Google rejected political advertisements, citing their standard rule of denying ads that are personal attacks.

Google doesn't allow ads for liquor, firearms, or gambling, for that matter.

Langdon operates NCJusticeFraud.com and ChinaIsEvil.com. The ads in question attacked North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper. Langdon also alleged that Google censored his ChinaIsEvil website, but it is pointed out, most interestingly, that the website was censored only on Google China, where Google is allowed to do that.

Simultaneously, Langdon submitted ads to Yahoo! and MSN. He claimed MSN ignored his requests and that Yahoo would only take ads from Yahoo-hosted sites.

In the suit, Langdon
The judge on the case disagrees – really, really disagrees – calling the suit "frivolous." Langdon's case was dismissed. The verdict, says Goldman, will also add precedent for rejecting claims like the ones posed in the


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