It's Back! - "Offensive" Michelle Obama Image Returns - Google Posts Ad to Explain Why

If you've been following along, we've been discussing demands made upon Google to remove a so-called offensive image of Michelle Obama that can be found when one conducts an image search for "Michelle Obama". Google initially caved and removed the image from search results, while allowing offensive images of President Bush to remain. Well...the image is back. And Google explains why:

Google is buying ads to explain why an offensive image of the First Lady is back in its index and ranking so highly on searches for Michelle Obama in Google Image Search.

Google’s ad...leads searchers to http://www.google.com/resultsinfo.html, which apologizes to users who’ve “had an upsetting experience using Google,” and explains the company’s policy on offensive content:

“Sometimes Google search results from the Internet can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries. We assure you that the views expressed by such sites are not in any way endorsed by Google.

Search engines are a reflection of the content and information that is available on the Internet. A site’s ranking in Google’s search results relies heavily on computer algorithms using thousands of factors to calculate a page’s relevance to a given query.

The beliefs and preferences of those who work at Google, as well as the opinions of the general public, do not determine or impact our search results.”

I guess Google felt like it had to put the image back or run the risk of not being able to continue to display disturbing images of conservative icons. I'm cool with that very First Amendmentish decision. Liberals, however, won't be.