China: Google Wrong To Stop Censoring

It took Chinese officials less than two hours to react on Google’s announcement to stop censoring their services in China. Google, two hours before the response, started to redirect their China mainland traffic to their Hong Kong domain serving unfiltered information and services to Chinese users.

The official in charge of the Internet bureau under the State Council Information Office told the Xinhuanet.com that Google had “violated its written promise it made when entering the Chinese market by stopping filtering its searching service and blaming China in insinuation for alleged hacker attacks”.

The official added that Google’s move was totally wrong and that China opposed the politicization of commercial issues and expressed discontent to “to Google for its unreasonable accusations and conducts”.

Google had been in talks with Chinese officials before to resolve the issue without having to pull out of China completely. The current move can be seen as a compromise between pulling out completely and continuing to censor search results and other services in China.

The official did not reveal China’s reaction to Google’s move. It is likely that additional Google services will be blocked in China. Google has created a Google China Service Availability information page where users from all over the world can see which Google services are blocked in China. The page however has not been updated since March 21.

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Author: Martin Brinkmann, Tuesday March 23, 2010 -
Tags:china, china censorship, Google, google china, google search

Responses so far:

1. DanTe says:

   March 24, 2010 at 1:15 am

   I would be very very careful of clicking onto the Xinhua link. My PC’s protection systems had warned me time and time again that it’s trying to run unauthorized code. That’s why I usually sandbox it when I want to read big fat lies for a good laugh or two.

   Reply
2. Edward Houle says:

   March 25, 2010 at 4:20 pm

   Since the Google – China conflict began I’ve read many articles but I’ve got one nagging question.
   Google states that the Chinese infected their computers, reports state that virus’ pentetrated Internet Explorer 6 to

   infect the PC’s.

   My question: Is it logical or believeable that Google Geeks/Employees were or are using Microsoft Internet Explorer

   browser and not Google Chrome?
   Google doesn’t use Google Chrome browser? It just seems fishy and makes me wonder if Google is fabricating this whole

   conflict that got Clinton and the government involved.

   It seems to me that if what Google states is in fact true the BUSINESS question is why Google Employees use the

   Microsoft Browser. This is NEWS.

   Info: About 3 years ago and I believe that AP reported the incident, there was a problem in China with Windows XP not

   booting following Windows Update. It was reported (only once and no follow-up) that Microsoft’s Windows Updates for a

   particular version of Chinese had included two files that Microsoft had received from the CIA. Oh yeah, Norton AV

   eliminated the files and caused the Windows boot issue.

   Ok, everybody spies! But is Google telling the truth, that the Chinese attacked them?

   Whether or not Google is right the big question is why Journalists didn’t question why Google employees are using

   Microsoft Internet Explorer?

   Lastly a little comparison: China is communist and blocks information (websites). Google is capitalist and blocks

   information (unknown collected personal data).

   China openly disallows its people access to information it deems undesireable.
   Google will not provide information to the public that it obtains from PC’s around the world.

   In Italy now, the government has blocked access to www.piratebay.org and I must accept it. I have no idea what

   information Google has on me, I’ve never installed Google Toolbar, Google Chrome, Google Desktop, or any other Google

   software, but on my new PC’s I have unistalled their software before using the internet. So, can I just assume that

   Google has no personal information on me? Can I trust Google, who’s objective is only to make money?

   Perhaps Google is the digital “Big Brother” but worse. They are experts at collecting information and processing that

   information to manipulate ordinary people. The U.S. Federal Governement (FCC) should take immediate action and

   investigate Google and all of its secrets, and screw the trade secrets, they can be classified by the governement.

   I can only imagine that one day when I do a Google search that the results will only be what Google allows me to have,

   similiar to what China restricts its people to. Maybe its already happening?

   Thanks,
   Edward Houle
   Computer Help Shop
   Vicenza, Italy
   Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

   Reply
3. fuckchina says:

   March 27, 2010 at 2:08 pm

   It seems like a lot of chinese actually support their government, I mean what the fuck, are they really that ignorant?

   Reply