Google's Chinese version of its search engine has drawn criticism from human rights organisations
Google bows to great firewall of China
/v3-uk/news/1943825/google-bows-firewall-china
25 Jan 2006, Iain Thomson , V3
Google has launched a Chinese version of its search engine, but is censoring key search items which it believes will annoy the Chinese government.
The move comes after a year of deliberation and means that Google joins Microsoft and Yahoo in using servers hosted in China. This will give it a significant speed advantage over uncensored search engines.
Such external sites have to pass through the 'Great firewall of China', a network of government servers used to determine what Chinese internet users are allowed to see.
"This was a difficult decision for Google. On balance we believe that having a service with links that work and omit a fractional number is better than having a service that is not available at all," said the company on its blog.
"It was a difficult trade-off for us to make, but one that we felt ultimately serves the best interests of our users in China."
The move has generated dismay and anger among human rights organisations and internet users alike.
"The launch of Google.cn is a black day for freedom of expression in China," said worldwide press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders.
"Like its competitors, the company says it has no choice and must obey Chinese laws, but this is a tired argument.
"Freedom of expression is not a minor principle that can be pushed aside when dealing with a dictatorship. It's a principle recognised by the Universal Decla ration of Human Rights and features in the Chinese national constitution itself."
Reporters Without Borders wrote to Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in May last year asking whether they were going to censor their tool for the Chinese market, and expressing concern at some recent Google decisions.
Article six of Google's 10 philosophies states: 'You can make money without doing evil.' Article eight states: 'The need for information crosses all borders.'
Ursula Owen, editor in chief of Index on Censorship, which has monitored and highlighted censorship around the world for over 30 years, said that she was shocked by Google's decision.
"Google did not need to do this and is doing it for the money," she said. " How rich do people have to be? If they hadn't done it and had taken a stand, maybe others would stand by them."
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Do you agree?
Things are not as they seem
Business doesnt care about what is wrong or right. Only about the bottom line.$$$$ If evolution is true then this is the proper path. No room for compassion in the survival of the fittest.
Posted by Nemo, 25 Jan 2006
yeah the greed got to them
sorry I am now forced to stop using your service because the chinese government persecutes falun gong members and I just cannot use a service that limits information on that subject which saves lives.
Posted by chris, 25 Jan 2006
What searches are being sensored?
I'm not too sure if any of these reporters have actually tried doing a search on the new Google China. For example: http://www.google.com/search?hl=zh-CN&q=democracy+in+china&lr=
or http://www.google.com/search?hl=zh-CN&q=freedom+of+speach+in+communist+china&lr=
Posted by Gabriel Dorta, 25 Jan 2006
Stop Blaming Google
People tend to forget that the laws of the US are just that; Our Laws, Our Rights, Our Freedoms, written for free American people. Unfortunately, every country has not been afforded the lifestyles we have. Yes Google, MSN, and Yahoo could have refused the cencorship (TOGETHER) but since each company completed their contracts with China's government, there was no strength in numbers.
Posted by L. G. in San Diego, 26 Jan 2006
No options huh?
I disagree. There are options available to Google & others when faced with demands from dictatorships. Refuse. If the big 3 (Yahoo, Google & MSN) met & agreed that the censorship is illegal, unrightful & detrimental to all, and agreed to stand together - within months, China would eventually realize they're powerless. Even now - they can seek out lesser known 'gateways' to find the censored info...How does that help the Big 3s reputation?
Posted by michelle tolliver, 25 Jan 2006
Google will lose....
I think Google will lose alot of respect with this decision. Maybe even a few users but at the end of the day they have chosen to ignore there own published philosophies there fore they are losing their most precious asset for finacial gain, their self respect.
Posted by Des Wilkinson, 25 Jan 2006
google bows to the dollar
It is business.
There is no such thing as morals or nobility where business is concerned.
Business is war. And in war, right and wrong are luxuries the combatants cannot afford. Anchors to tie them down, while their opponents who ignore the anchors will swiftly pass them by.
Like asking a person to cut off their own finger.
Posted by froggy57, 18 Jul 2006