1.26.2006

Google criticised for complying with China's sensorship

Like other search engines before it (Yahoo and MSN), Google has agreed to censor its search results in China, in order to comply with the country's restrictions against freedom of speech. Google is fighting for market share in China, and plans to roll out a new version of its search engine (suffix ".cn") specific to China's demands.
They've also stated that they won't offer some services, such as G-Mail or blogging, because they do not feel they can offer their extended services in truncated form.
While Google feels offering whatever access possible is the greater good, many people in the US are dissapointed that Google would step away from its "don't be evil" mantra and join in the ranks of censorship. As a sign of protest, bloggers and websites are starting to cancel their AdSense use. Google, for one, is in the position of trying to run an international business in a world that has different boundaries. But on the other hand, it spent the last two weeks defending its Search queries from the US Government in the face of all other engines complying, and this seems to be a step in the other direction.