Shame on Google......

by nicolaou 10 Replies latest social current

• 

  nicolaou

  ...and Microsoft and Yahoo.

  The following is from todays edition of The Independant (UK) and was written by Daniel Howden

  China remains the benchmark in censorship. Beijing has cajoled major US players such as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo into adapting their sites and services to suit the censors. A Chinese web surfer typing the word "democracy" or "freedom" or "human rights" into their server will probably receive an error message announcing: "This item contains forbidden speech."

  Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch said: "There have been great claims by internet companies that it would be an unstoppable tool for free expression and the spread of democracy. But when companies like Yahoo! Microsoft and Google decide to put profits from their Chinese operations over the free exchange of information, they are helping to kill that dream."

  Sad.
  Nic'
• 

  AuldSoul

  I would say that China will discover shortly the impossibility of censoring the Web. That Google can be used AT ALL is a huge step forward for Chinese people. I think it is sad to take a great step toward free thought and darken it because it isn't free thought yet. If Google can't used without complying, good that it complied. MORE ideas from more diverse places are now opened to China than were available before.

  Shame on China. But, in my opinion, Google, etc. are doing a good thing for Chinese people.

  AuldSoul
• 

  stillconcerned

  My sister lives there.

  She has internet access, and says it is HIGHLY censored, AND records are kept of where she goes on the net.

  Also, her email is censored; she can't write or receive anything that references God, Christ, Christianity (or religion in general).

  If she 'breaks the rules' she gets booted from the country.

  If a chinese 'breaks the rules', he/she often goes to jail.

  Yes.... sad.

  kimberlee d.
• 

  Simon

  These companies are just obeying the laws in the land where they operate (the law on what is allowed on different sites in different countries is probably still evolving).
• 

  nicolaou

  That's a fair point Simon and I'm sure with your experience here you understand this better than I do so clue me in a bit. If Google set up a new site, say www.google.xx then they would quite naturally be expected to respect the laws of the nation to which the domain xx relates to. As I inderstand it though that is not what is going on here. It's the results from good ol' google.com that Google are filtering before reaching a Chinese audience.

  Have I got that right?
• 

  nicolaou

  Well it took them a few years but events have brought about a long due rethink on Google's part after hackers targeted the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.
  
  Google said it had found a "sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China".

  It did not specifically accuse China's government, but said it was no longer willing to censor its Chinese site's results, as the government requires.

  Very, good news!

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8455712.stm
• 

  cantleave

  Agreed.
• 

  slimboyfat

  Well it took them a few years but events have brought about a long due rethink on Google's part after hackers targeted the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

  The news report I heard did talk about the email accounts of human rights activists being hacked into. However it also mentioned that "commercially sensitive" information had been accessed in google itself. Call me cynical, but commercial considerations probably still weighed more heavily on the people at google when deciding finally to get tough with China.
• 

  AK - Jeff

  Do you suppose that Chinese people in general, like Jw's in general, though censored severly, might actually get a notion that there are ideas outside the realm that need investigated?

  Hence, the very presence of the internet holds possible discovery someday of the ideologies that may lead to freedom. I applaude Google's rethink. Just the constant message that this is 'forbidden' might be positive in the long run.

  Jeff
• 

  Mary

  Do you suppose that Chinese people in general, like Jw's in general, though censored severly, might actually get a notion that there are ideas outside the realm that need investigated?

  Absolutely. I think if China ever became a democratic society, the Chinese people would be thrilled beyond words. They know full well that living in a free country is far more desirable than living under the boot of a bunch of thugs who control every move you make.