Gabe Anderson writes a blog post and letter to Google claiming they violate their own Don't Be Evil motto.

An ocean advocacy group was denied AdWords to promot their site because the ads contained criticisms of Royal Caribbean's pollution problems.

Says Anderson,

Google should reinstate the Oceana AdWords immediately and show that it supports free expression of all viewpoints, not just those sponsored by corporate interests. Google's motto has always been "Don't be evil" -- this would seem to be a great opportunity to live up to those noble words.

Is it possible for Google to have a completely unbiased policy for search results, but still reject ads based on their content? As long as the policy is disclosed and the business side doesn't affect the content side, how is this different from any media or journalism best practice?

I certainly don't want to see legitimate criticism and public discourse subverted by corporate interests--It's easy for dissent to be crushed by the profit motive. But should Google be held to a higher standard than other media, its motto notwithstanding?