Google Decides To Stop Censoring Search Results In China

[BuffaloHelp 24]

From the Official Google Blog:

We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.

This comes not voluntarily by Google. After months of tracking and surveillance by 20 huge companies that launched complains against Google. The statement sounds like google is finally taking the stand even if it means Google.cn may be closed down. But what took Google so long?

The move certainly is a bold move and something to be commended. Standing up from the evil government. Let the free stay free. But I am disappointed that this move did not come until complaints were launched by other big hands. Looks like Google can be pushed around--if it's big enough force.

But, it's a step towards the right direction and it would be hard for Google to just face alone. I hope that other companies will stand up and walk the path Google has chosen to walk alone at this time. The path of least resistance is not always the best path to follow.

[tansqrx 0]

The media reports that I have been hearing about Google and China paint a slightly different picture (https://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/01/13/1657249/Googlecn-Attack-Part-of-a-Broad-Spying-Effort and several talk radio shows). Apparently Google is getting tired of all the attacks to both the physical and intellectual aspects of their business. The physical attacks are incurring loss due to bandwidth usage, DDoS attacks, and other system gaming. The intellectual losses are due to corporate espionage and perhaps Google secrets lost to China. Google has made a business decision and decided that the losses are larger than the potential gain in China.As all good public relations firms do, Google has added a positive spin to the story by saying one of the reasons for it possibly leaving China is the censorship issue. Raising the censorship card makes everyone warm and fuzzy inside but the underlying fact is that the move is purely business driven. Google is now putting more money into China then they are getting out so this part of their business is now closing.

[BuffaloHelp 24]

 

Well, the citizens of China are already holding a memorial at Google's logo. People are mourning as if the deal is already done and Google.cn is dead.

 

It's your move, government of China.

[tansqrx 0]

I can’t much blame them. I would be distraught also if Google was banned in the states.

[tansqrx 0]

Just found this via SecurityFocus and adds a little more to my argument that this is more than just doing what is right.

http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/1060

In a post to its blog, the company stated that an investigation into an attack against the Gmail accounts of pro-democracy activists turned up evidence of a much broader assault against Google's systems. The attack -- first noticed in mid-December and considered "highly sophisticated and targeted" -- resulted in the "theft of intellectual property," the company stated. It's unclear from the statement whether the two Gmail accounts accessed by attackers constituted intellectual property.

In addition to the two Gmail accounts accessed through targeted attacks, Google's investigation also revealed the widespread access to other Gmail accounts of other activists Chinese human rights, apparently using valid credentials, suggesting that the usernames and passwords were obtained through phishing attacks.

Also related is a story about the law firm, Gipson Hoffman & Pancione, representing CYBERsitter which is accusing the Chinese government of copyright infringement for the Green Dam Youth Escort monitoring program. The law firm has been the victim of several targeted attacks that appear to be from China.

http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/1062

[mahesh2k 0]

Well China was already strict one many things. When there was quake they didn't let media to cover it to avoid showing the inability of government. And now that they showed google behind those hacks, i think google should pull off from china. There is no worth in having business in china.