SALMAN
07-30-2010, 01:48 AM
Google vs China – Freedom of Speech versus Censorship of Views
Some of the little known facts about Internet in China are:
1. You cannot access Twitter in China
2. You cannot access Facebook in China
3. You cannot access Youtube in China
4. You cannot access WordPress in China
5. You cannot access Blogger in China
http://www.hitxp.com/pics/google-china.jpg
Basically, you cannot access the latest happening spots of the internet in China where the meaning of social networking and freedom of speech is dictated by the communist government.
And now added to this list is Google Search with a slight twist.
All these days Google was filtering the search results provided to the chinese citizens – as dictated by the Communist government of China.
But after a sophisticated hacking attempt on Google’s servers from China (obviously on behalf of the Chinese Communist government – because nobody dares to do such a thing in China without the government approval), Google said enough is enough and has stopped filtering its search results in China. Good for Google and its motto ‘Do no Evil’. China wanted Google to be a communist search engine in China and Google has finally did the right thing by refusing to be one. Well, Google is not Baidu
Now Chinese government itself has started filtering Google search results in China. Surprising that Chinese government has not blocked Google in China inspite of Google refusing to filter search results in China. Well what is an internet without Google isnt it?
The search market share of Google in China (which is about 34%) may not be large, with Baidu (the Chinese language search engine) being the top search provider in China, but given China’s huge internet user population – 34% is not a small amount and all those vast number of users are going to miss Google if China blocks Google. And blocking Google means you are out of the most sophisticated internet search tool.
Today Google is no longer filtering its search results in China, but the great chinese firewall is.
Yes, China has two great walls, one is the physical Great Wall of China built centuries ago to protect China from the invaders, and now the virtual Chinese firewall filtering all Internet traffic entering and leaving China to make only the government approved content available to the Chinese masses.
Some of the little known facts about Internet in China are:
1. You cannot access Twitter in China
2. You cannot access Facebook in China
3. You cannot access Youtube in China
4. You cannot access WordPress in China
5. You cannot access Blogger in China
http://www.hitxp.com/pics/google-china.jpg
Basically, you cannot access the latest happening spots of the internet in China where the meaning of social networking and freedom of speech is dictated by the communist government.
And now added to this list is Google Search with a slight twist.
All these days Google was filtering the search results provided to the chinese citizens – as dictated by the Communist government of China.
But after a sophisticated hacking attempt on Google’s servers from China (obviously on behalf of the Chinese Communist government – because nobody dares to do such a thing in China without the government approval), Google said enough is enough and has stopped filtering its search results in China. Good for Google and its motto ‘Do no Evil’. China wanted Google to be a communist search engine in China and Google has finally did the right thing by refusing to be one. Well, Google is not Baidu
Now Chinese government itself has started filtering Google search results in China. Surprising that Chinese government has not blocked Google in China inspite of Google refusing to filter search results in China. Well what is an internet without Google isnt it?
The search market share of Google in China (which is about 34%) may not be large, with Baidu (the Chinese language search engine) being the top search provider in China, but given China’s huge internet user population – 34% is not a small amount and all those vast number of users are going to miss Google if China blocks Google. And blocking Google means you are out of the most sophisticated internet search tool.
Today Google is no longer filtering its search results in China, but the great chinese firewall is.
Yes, China has two great walls, one is the physical Great Wall of China built centuries ago to protect China from the invaders, and now the virtual Chinese firewall filtering all Internet traffic entering and leaving China to make only the government approved content available to the Chinese masses.