Identifying Content

• In order to filter out adult-only content from Google searches, Google uses automated methods to identify such content. The filter uses a set of algorithms that take into account multiple factors that could indicate a website contains sexually explicit content, such as keywords, links and images. Google acknowledges in its Web Search Help section that no filter can be 100 percent accurate, or omit all adult content, and that it listens to user feedback to improve its filtering methods. Google also cautions users that it does not censor or editorialize on search results, but simply offers tools to allow people to screen out certain types of content.
  
  

Filtering Types

• SafeSearch offers three settings, or levels, to filter out adult content. "Strict Filtering" is the level offering the most protection. It excludes sexually explicit images and video from Google search results, along with results that could possibly link to explicit content. "Moderate filtering," which is the default SafeSearch setting, excludes the explicit images and videos from results, but it does not filter out those results which could link to adult content. "No filtering" turns off the SafeSearch filtering, which means all adult content results will show in a Google search.
  
  

Abuse Policy

• Google prohibits any advertising related to child sexual abuse from appearing in its search results. When Google becomes aware of either child sexual abuse images or child pornography in its search results or hosted on its websites, the company removes such content and terminates Google accounts responsible for posting them.
  
  

Complications

• Google's adult content filters have experienced problems filtering out innocent material by mistake, according to PBS' MediaShift blog. Because SafeSearch scans for keywords related to sexual activities, the filter will sometimes impact small independent blogs or web businesses that are heavily dependent on Google search results sending traffic to their websites. MediaShift also reported that Google often adjusts the way it indexes websites to ensure that spam blogs -- those that simply list large numbers of keywords and links to be featured higher in search rankings -- will not rank as high. One of the challenges of identifying adult material is that some blogs may explore sexual topics in an intellectual way, but Google's filters will place them lower in the search rankings simply because of the keywords they use.