Google Bans Site Over Comments Section, Denies NBC Report About Separate Ban

NBC News attempted this week to use the power of Google to cancel our publication, the Federalist. The effort failed, but it should serve as a warning about the unchecked power of big tech companies, particularly when they can be manipulated by partisans, including partisan journalists.

On Monday we received a request for comment through our general media email account from NBC reporter Adele-Momoko Fraser. The message asserted that Google had demonetized our site—preventing us from earning money through Google ads—for violating its rules.

On Tuesday, NBC published an article...

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, says any move by Google to cut off ad revenue to The Federalist and Zero Hedge websites is “Orwellian.”

Cruz made his comments on Thursday’s “Fox & Friends.”

NBC News reported that Google has banned Zero Hedge, a libertarian website, over policy violations found in the comments section of stories about Black Lives Matter protests. The news network also said Google had issued a warning to The Federalist over comments on articles related to recent protests.

A Google spokesperson had first said it had demonetized both...