In a country driven by the internet, where a good book or a delicious pizza are just a click away, it is hard not to take our freedom to search the web for granted. However, some countries do not allow their citizens the same liberties we cherish when it comes to online searching.
On January 12, Google made the surprising announcement that it would no longer censor search results in China. Unfiltered results are banned by the Chinese government because they can lead to banned topics.
The Original Plan
Reluctant to say no to the potential business generated by over a billion people, Google had originally agreed to operate a censored version of their search engine in China.
Google’s rationale was that allowing limited access to content is better than not allowing any access, and plans were moving forward to launch the search engine and supporting websites in censored versions conforming to Chinese government stipulations.
A Rude Awakening
Google’s aims at diplomacy were retracted, however, when it learned of Chinese hackers’ attempts to steal corporate software code and invade Google mailboxes of human rights activists in China.
The Chinese government is denying the cyber attack allegations, but Google’s lawyers are hopeful that the dispute will be resolved in a few weeks. Although in the midst of discussions with the Chinese government, Google claims it will pull out of China unless online censorship becomes less extreme.
Regardless of the outcome, internet and computer analysts believe the conflict marks the beginning of a new era in online censorship: an era in which websites and users will be technologically advanced enough to work around government filters.
Leave a Reply