Google Refuses to Keep Censoring Chinese Content

[DoW Lowen]

Getting your servers hacked by the Chinese Government: The lives of human rights activists

Trying to pressure the Chinese Government: Tens of thousands of dollars

Pulling your business out of the Chinese market: Millions annually

Sticking by your principles and telling the Chinese Government to FUCK OFF!: Priceless

There are some places that Freedom of Speech can't be found. For everywhere else there's Google.

Where's the 'like' button on these posts?

 

[TruthMan]

i do have an idea i played fallout 3 lol

 

[Markness]

Good Work Google. "Don't be Evil"

 

[Lucifron]

Great move by Google; this elevates them by miles in my book.

 

[Andronicus]

You all should probably get one thing people, when the government in China says A most of the people there THINK A.

And if the government in China says A, and someone thinks B, may the lord have mercy on their souls, because the Chinese government sure won't...

Good on Google. Basic human rights, such as freedom of speech, should take every possible precedence over censorship, especially politically.

 

[DTWolfwood]

...

If you cannot abide by your own rules and morals, then you have nothing.

+ but money ^-^

 

[DTWolfwood]

Since when does a search engine require 'credibility' to be good?

Pretty much ever since there was more than one of them and they had to start competing with each other? In general, the search engines that don't have "credibility" (i.e. people don't trust them/their results) haven't been particularly successful. In the long run, censored results and things like paid ad placement in search results (as opposed to clearly marked ads that are separate) have driven people away from companies that have tried to pull things like that and to their competitors.

Being able to (somewhat) trust that the company isn't censoring or filtering things or screwing up ranking with paid placement (or at least is doing it less than the alternative choices) does seem to affect the choices of the users, which affects whether or not the company makes money or not. In the long run (which a lot of people seem to be incapable of thinking about these days, which is sad and leads to crap like the economic disaster the world is in now), doing anything to lessen any goodwill or trust your customers have in you will only hurt you.

not certain how shady credit leaning has anything to do with it but i see your point. But i suspect Google is merely preempting the inevitable, and that is China canceling their service for being uncooperative and this is merely to cut their loses and make themselves look good in the process.

 

[DTWolfwood]

...

You are misinformed.
The real REAL reason Big G is pulling out of China is that their government has a team of hackers that have managed to infiltrate gmail servers and extract information about dissidents, but the notion that a search engine doesn't necessarily have to actually find what you're looking for is stupid.
Google has 90% of the European market and around 70% of America. They're about 30% in China. They're not losing a whole lot by taking this stance if you consider the PR holocaust that would happen if it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that dissidents were found and executed because of information pulled from gmail accounts. ALL google has is their public image. They sell advertising, so they depend on loyalty.

Right so please explain to me y they have been there for 4 years? Sorry i don't take sided with billion dollar corporate giants when they just laid off 10000 workers so they can cut their loses. You fail to see that this is merely Google saving face cause china was more than likely about to canned them for being uncooperative. Y not make yourself look good in the process if you are already failing there

 

[DTWolfwood]

...

This comment makes me sick.
to me it reads "I don't care what injustices occur, as long as I'm better off."
Before I severely take issue with it, please tell me i've been mistaken.

So google censoring themselves for the past 4 years isnt about profit? oO what idealistic world of humanity do u live in? Did you not read that i do admire them for FINALLY standing up for morality. but that doesnt excuse them from being there to begin with and there job layoffs when times got bad. Google is in the business of making money. don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise.

 

[DTWolfwood]

...

You pretty much answered your own question, who wants to use a search filter that censors stuff in one part of the world? What's to stop them from censoring in other parts of the world?At least know we know with all the money they lose there wont be a conspiracy behind them. When you're the worlds most popular search engine you gotta keep a good image, bravo to you Google.

Good point. but this is china, everyone in the free world expects their stuff to be censored. Been that way for the pass 4 years. Haven't seen ppl's outcry that google is secretly trying to make their product WORST in the capitalistic world XD Like you said keeping the image is all this ploy is. Im pretty sure they haven't been very cooperative with the chinese government anyways and their eventual termination was inevitable so y not make yourself look good in the process

 

[Danzaivar]

Google is number one pretty much everywhere but China, the biggest stain on its rep was agreeing to censor stuff for the Chinese Government. They lose out on a market they have a small share in, and gain massive credibility everywhere else; seems a pretty smart move to me.

Hurting your shareholders bottomline is never a smart thing. As a share holder of Google i dont care if they had to censor themselves in china! so long as they are getting business from them. Since when does a search engine require 'credibility' to be good? oO

while i admire there courage to stand up for there beliefs, it doesnt take an expert to see this as a fiscal blunder especially since china is probably the fastest growing market. So either this politically motivated ploy will guarantee more business in the free world or they would have shot themselves in the foot when some other company make crazy money off them.

all i know is time to sell some google!

Look at Apple and then tell me that brand loyalty doesn't boost sales. They ain't just a search engine anymore; they have Android and that other OS on the way too. Now they just get to wave the 'Champions of freedom' shtick with it too, let's them really set themselves as the opposite of Apple.

 

[Rect Pola]

Well, the gauntlet's been thrown down.

China presents itself as a forward-thinking society and all, but they refuse to endure the free speech crap that makes running a westernized nation hard.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I all I ever hear from China is "waaa, they're not doing what we want, waaa".

China ... this is the definition of EPIC FAIL!!!

Same avatar...

O_O

OT: Hey, Google doesn't need China's moneys.

 

[Doug]

I all I ever hear from China is "waaa, they're not doing what we want, waaa".

Yeah, I mean, its like they have a dictatoral government who suppressed any independence that threatens the party's grip on power or something...oh wait, thats true

 

[stompythebeast]

What the hell, how is this possible? There must be some weird way in which it is profitable for google to stop operating in China, I just can't believe they would make a decision based on anything other than profit.

I think that Google was founded on the principles of being able to find anything, anywhere and anytime and not just about money.

Nice to see there sticking to there principles on this one.

Alternatively it could just be a US company giving the finger to China, who knows.

Either way i am proud of Google.

 

[ark123]

...

You are misinformed.
The real REAL reason Big G is pulling out of China is that their government has a team of hackers that have managed to infiltrate gmail servers and extract information about dissidents, but the notion that a search engine doesn't necessarily have to actually find what you're looking for is stupid.
Google has 90% of the European market and around 70% of America. They're about 30% in China. They're not losing a whole lot by taking this stance if you consider the PR holocaust that would happen if it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that dissidents were found and executed because of information pulled from gmail accounts. ALL google has is their public image. They sell advertising, so they depend on loyalty.

Right so please explain to me y they have been there for 4 years? Sorry I don't take sided with billion dollar corporate giants when they just laid off 10000 workers so they can cut their loses. You fail to see that this is merely Google saving face cause china was more than likely about to canned them for being uncooperative. Why not make yourself look good in the process if you are already failing there

Why now? I've no idea. Apparently they have been fighting China's hackers for years, but only now admitted that some hacks were successful. Other companies have started coming forth and admitting that they've been hacked as well.
When you're making an argument you need to pick a side, though. You first said that it was time to sell google because they were going to lose a lot by leaving China, now you're saying they're laying off people to keep profitability (which would keep the stock high). Which is it?
I'm not sure why you wouldn't take Google's side on this. The other side is a dictatorial government that systematically breaks international law in order to oppress their citizens more efficiently. Even if you think Google is taking a stance against censorship under ulterior motives (which they are, they're mostly tired of being hacked and keeping quiet about it), it doesn't change the fact that they're still doing it.

 

[Johnlives]

This reminded me a few months back I saw the headline: Google vs China Who Will Win The Cyberwar?

We are definitely in the future.