Thin end of the wedge

Google is to warn people of potential 'unsafe' websites. A warning screen will appear advising the user to go somewhere else. A list of keywords includes 'free screensavers' & 'bearshare'.

While this may be a good way of stopping people inadvertently visiting websites that deliberately try to abuse them, at which point will Google advise people not to visit sites that choose not to advertise through Google. There are several people I know who won't pass through a web site that tells them that it is potentially dangerous, irrespective of whether ultimately they can or not, or whether in fact it is dangerous or not.

The difference is that Google used to be a useful internet search engine, whereas now it's a brand name of a faceless global corporation.

Users will need to be happy they can trust the big corporations who tell them where to go and what to read.