Is it an attempt to censor Google content?

In its Web site, Google says that transparency is a core value and it feel that it is their responsibility to maximize transparency around the flow of information.  They believe transparency promotes choice, freedom and power of individuals.

In its latest Transparency Report covering January to June 2012, government requests to remove Google content increased by 71 percent.  The world’s largest search engine said it received 1,791 requests during the period compared to 1,048 requests it received during the second half of 2011.

The U.S. Federal, State and Local government requests for removal were the second largest behind Turkey.  The total number of U.S. requests represented 46 percent increase over the previous reporting period.  It received a court order to remove 1,754 postings involving a defamation case against a man and his family and Google removed 1,664 posts.  Google didn’t honor five requests and a court order to remove seven YouTube videos criticizing local and state government agencies, law enforcement and public officials.  It also received three other court orders to remove 641 search results linking to Web sites that allegedly defame organizations and individuals and it removed 233 search results which feel within the court order.