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U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees global human rights, provided just one example of this backfiring in a January 25 press statement. "It is astounding that Google, whose corporate philosophy is 'Don't be evil' would enable evil by cooperating with China's censorship policies just to make a buck," he said.
Still, Google has not been a stranger to controversy in the past. Its technical and strategic decisions have been scrutinized and criticized by both users and Internet cognoscenti for almost as long as it's been a major player in the search business.
At times, for instance, Google has been blasted for placing permanent "cookies" on users' computers in order to personalize some services; for offering a reverse-lookup phone directory that can be used to find a person's address from his or her phone number; for filtering out too much or too little pornographic content with its "SafeSearch" feature; for hurting small companies by ranking search results according to popularity and frequently altering the way it calculates these rankings; for scanning and digitally indexing copyrighted library books without asking the permission of their authors or publishers; and for selling shares in its initial public offering through a complicated auction system that only big investors had the wherewithal to figure out.
But censoring its own services for consumption in China may be Google's most unpopular decision to date. The company's official justification for limiting its range of services as it moves into China -- a potentially highly lucrative market, and one of the few where Google's search engine does not yet dominate -- are the same as those of many other information technology companies in China: that multinational corporations must obey the laws of the countries where they do business, and that some level of access to Western information and technology is, in the long run, more conducive to democracy and free speech than none.
(ADDENDUM, Jan. 30, 2006, 3:25 pm EST: As of this moment, a Business Week Online poll launched last week shows that 46.8 percent of 1,407 respondents think Google made a "bad move" and is "putting profit before principle," while 46.5 percent say Google is right and that it "needs to play by China's rules first. Reforms and Western-style transparency will follow." - WR)
Yet Google's commitment to its position seems half-hearted at best. By going into China, it's in effect condoning similar actions by some of the same companies, such as Microsoft, to which the "don't be evil" motto implicitly refers. And by expressing their misgivings about the Chinese venture in public, company officials seem to have opened themselves up to charges of hypocrisy.
After an attack that required staggering skill and resources, the company threatens to quit China.
The search giant's new IM product, Talk, is newsworthy -- but probably won't overturn the telecommunications industry. In fact, the recent move by Skype may be more ground-breaking.
Guest (AH Rosen)
We users have to choose - do we want exclusive control of all of our data/ Or, do we want to put some or all of it on the web in exchange for free unlimiuted storage and services that can make us happy? There is an unavoidable price to be paid for each choice. anyone who has had a crashed computer knows the price for the first chaice. Coogle is not alone in the second - EK comes to mind for pictures, as do banks for your money.
Guest (Charlie Richmond)
Only last year, 2005, I was able to find collections of poetry and prose with great facility. A couple of weeks ago I was teaching a class of "seniors" how to use search engines and only seemed to turn up books for sale.
I was able to modify my search words and get to a few sources but even then, they were heavily salted with the "for sale" items.
Perhaps Google could make return to its more arcane logic just for us older folk who just want to reread some of the many wonderful writings that we have learned to love over the years.
Charlie Richmond
Guest (blink4blog)
I don't really agree this is a foul play
Each country consist of its national policy on media and information system and China just wants whats the best for them. Google or Microsoft could choose not to goto China if they think the market is not profitable?
http://blink4blog.blogspot.com
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Guest (N Huntoon)
Something people seem to be forgetting when discussing google.cn is that it's not the only version of Google available in China. Chinese can still use www.google.com and get uncensored access to entire internet. They only have to put up with slow response times because the server they are connecting to is located elsewhere. Google.cn only accesses the servers inside China. In order for Google to place servers inside China, they have to comply with Chinese laws. If I were a Chinese citizen, I would use google.cn for my benign searches but put up with the longer wait times when I'm trying to overthrow the government.
Guest (mad matter)
I guess that will be the acid test, when the chinese government asks google for info from google.com (assuming they can actually get on through their service provider) do they give the chinese government the requested info. If they don't then surely google.cn will be outlawed also. The question remains, will google yahoo or "not do evil"
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Guest (V. L Elliott)
Google's inconsistency
Google accepted and, in some ways, is enforcing the restrictions that the totalitarian government of China places on the people of China. Google chose to deny and, indeed, oppose a US Government attempt to obtain information that at least some believed to be needed for the anti-terrorism campaign. Google's supporters argued that the latter decision was based on fundmental principles. The decision with regard to China seems to be based on acquiring a larger share of a growing market. While it may be a reasoned decision it brings into question Google's motivation. It looks like the complany is using muliple standards. To date, Google has not given us a satisfactory explanation of the apparent inconsistency.
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Guest (Leila)
black and white views
It is fantastic that we can have access to such an important news as how companies and government operate and set up new relationship.
It is also a great opportunity for me, as a person from a developing country, to follow up press and ONGs reaction. And the opportunity to discuss the issue.
I am wondering if we could think the opposite: Google refuse to accept China's law. What would happen? I think about Cuba and US no-relationship...
What kind of trade-offs would a company do? Can countries with no democracy history change? How come?
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Guest (Down with Google)
Google will pay for this...
Many big companies were forced to pay reparations for cooperating with the Nazi regimes in Europe. They looked the other way, just so they could make some profits. They didn't care that it was bloodmoney. When democracy will come to China, all these corporate whores will be held accountable for supporting a dictatorial regime.
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Guest (mad matter)
why would that be
The US government supports plenty of dictators, eg Saddam Hussein in the 80's. They have not paid for it yet, welcome to your world
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