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I don’t solict or google pornography. However I was very pleased with Googles stance on not releasing their search records on porno. It is a freedom Google was defending and I couldn’t have been more proud of them.
Unfortunately that admiration turned to anger just a few days later. Google does not feel they have their market share in China. In order to “get into the game” they made a deal with the Chinese government. That deal was censorship.
Other search engines had already complied with the Chinese censorship. Google once again was the hold out … until now.
I guess they will be turning over those porno search reports to the US government any day.
I am so disappointed.
For more details see this link
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05350/623619.stm
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January 27th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
I agree with you. I think it’s somewhat deplorable that Google is bowing to the Chinese government, and in effect, helping to disseminate only their approved content. For a company who’s motto is “Do no evil,” I think that blocking searches on topics like human rights is out of integrity. However, I do think they make one good point. They have said that they don’t want to be put in a position to turn over names and/or IP addresses to the Chinese government.
Maybe it’s a choice between two evils: helping people to be eliminated from Chinese society, or providing censored content. Personally, I think they should simply ignore China altogether; that way, if Chinese citizens find a way to get to Google and conduct unauthorized searches, Google can simply claim that it is an international service, open to anyone, and the international community can back them up in refusing to give names and/or IPs to the Chinese government.
Of course, that would mean passing on the profits available in the Chinese market. I guess the power of gold extends even to Lawful Good companies.
January 30th, 2006 at 8:37 am
Why do they make the decisions they do? Follow the money and you will find all your
answers.
January 30th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
This just in … Business 2.0 reports that Google’s censorship works great when things are spelled correctly. But when misspelled, the images and stories that the Chinese government would like to filter out come through. (1-Adam 12, see the link at http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/30/technology/browser0130/index.htm.)
I guess what I’m wondering is this: Is it a bug, or a feature? Because, you know, Google has never ever been political. (Try typing “failure” into Google.com and click “I’m Feeling Lucky.” You may be surprised at the top referral. Or you may not.)
February 9th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
I truly hope that is a “feature”. I have been Googling since I first heard its name. It isn’t often I get disappointed by a corporation. Disgusted maybe but not disappointed. This has so disappointed me.
I expect it of Yahoo but that is another rant.
April 22nd, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Ermm… and what did you expect? China is soon to be the world’s largest market. Any for-profit organization is going to bend over backward to please them. Any CEO that tried refusing to do so on moral grounds would be voted out of his office by money-hungry board members before he could eat his lunch. Disgusting but true.