[734] in Privacy_Forum
[ PRIVACY Forum ] China tightens the screws on Google
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (privacy@vortex.com)
Tue Jun 29 02:38:55 2010
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:21:38 -0700
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China tightens the screws on Google
http://www.nnsquad.org/archives/nnsquad/msg03764.html
"An update on China"
http://bit.ly/aXMqTr (Official Google Blog)
"Without an ICP license, we can't operate a commercial website
like Google.cn-so Google would effectively go dark in China."
"... we have started taking a small percentage of them to a
landing page on Google.cn that links to Google.com.hk-where
users can conduct web search or continue to use Google.cn
services like music and text translate, which we can provide
locally without filtering. This approach ensures we stay true to
our commitment not to censor our results on Google.cn and gives
users access to all of our services from one page."
If my understanding of this change is correct, I would not be very
optimistic regarding the long-term viability of this approach, though
it qualifies as a valiant effort on Google's part at maintaining
openness.
China can block (to a significant degree, anyway) Google.com.hk if it
chooses to do so, and given that Google.cn's new landing page only
takes Google.com.hk one click further away from Chinese users, the
Chinese government -- given their current apparent frame of mind --
would seem unlikely to accept it with open arms for any significant
period of time.
But I'd *love* for this prediction to be incorrect -- and what the
hell, the change Google's making is certainly worth the ol' college
try in any case.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
- Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition
for Transparent Internet Performance - http://www.gctip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
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