Google Stops Censoring Its Searches in China

[rowyn]

I don't know how much good this will do in the long run -- or how much difference it will make. Still, this news makes me happy. <3

Comments

[frysco.livejournal.com]

Reports are that it makes no difference.

You try and go to one of the search rules, and the Great Firewall of China is still blocking things.

[rowyn]

It still makes me glad to know Google isn't helping them. Even if it makes no difference in the pages they can actually get to, it makes it a little more obvious that the government is censoring the results.

But mostly it's just that I'd rather companies didn't make it easier for governments to do crappy things, even if their lack of cooperation doesn't change the end result.

[telnar.livejournal.com]

I was also quite happy to read that this morning.

The uncensored information may not reach Chinese internet users without access to a proxy server, but the fact of censorship will become more obvious.

[rowyn]

I kinda sympathized with Google's original stance of "well, better to play by their rules and get a foothold by which perhaps even censored search will allow better access to information than they've got now." That may even be right for all I know. But refusing to censor at all seems like the right thing, at a gut level.

[the-vulture.livejournal.com]

Good-on Google for taking that step!

[rowyn]

It's a victory for "Don't be evil". :)