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Google pulls "we don't censor" statement
The Register, UK ^ | January 27, 2006 | Lester Haines

Posted on 01/27/2006 3:34:35 PM PST by WaterDragon

Google's support centre has pulled an answer to the topical question "Does Google censor search results?" Since the answer clearly stated the company "does not censor results for any search term", and given the company's recent foray into the lucrative Chinese search engine market, it seems fair that the internet monolith would probably want to review that particular stance and relegate the offending item to cache....

Yup, democracy is not a word you want to be flashing about when you've just opened a big fat Yuan bank account.

For the record, Google's justification for agreeing to censorship of search results on Google China is, as Sergey Brin put it: "We ultimately made a difficult decision, but we felt that by participating there, and making our services more available, even if not to the 100 percent that we ideally would like, it will be better for Chinese Web users, because ultimately they would get more information, though not quite all of it."

Chinese news website Xinhua kicks off its "China welcomes running dog lackey imperialist search engine" piece with: "By creating a unique address for China, Google hopes to make its search engine more widely available and easier to use in the world's most populous country."

It does, however, quickly move on to a refreshingly frank analysis of Google's real motivation: "China already has more than 100 million web surfers and the audience is expected to swell substantially — an alluring prospect for Google as it tries to boost its already rapidly rising profits."

Don't be evil? Don't make us laugh.....


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: censors; china; google; greed
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If Google is willing (for profit) to censor in China, why would we assume they do not censor information (or slant information) in America or anywhere else?
1 posted on 01/27/2006 3:34:38 PM PST by WaterDragon
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To: WaterDragon

Google <- Capitalist Pigs


2 posted on 01/27/2006 3:36:54 PM PST by DigitalVideoDude
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To: DigitalVideoDude

Or communist capitulators.


3 posted on 01/27/2006 3:37:45 PM PST by WhistlingPastTheGraveyard (Allah FUBAR!)
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To: WaterDragon

Someone needs to start a Google bomb on Google -- maybe the term "Evil Censorship"


4 posted on 01/27/2006 3:37:52 PM PST by ElkGroveDan (California bashers will be called out)
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To: WaterDragon

Yet another form of lack of backbone. I pretty much use it exclusively as a search engine but I don't feel PC should be a part of it.


5 posted on 01/27/2006 3:38:34 PM PST by stm
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To: DigitalVideoDude
Google <capitalist liberal wienie "do as I say not as I do" Pigs
6 posted on 01/27/2006 3:39:33 PM PST by ThisLittleLightofMine
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To: WaterDragon
Check this out for SCARY!!!

tiananmen - Google Image Search.

tiananmen - Google Image Search in China.

7 posted on 01/27/2006 3:43:15 PM PST by FreedomNeocon (I'm in no Al-Samood for this Shi'ite.)
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To: WaterDragon

Wouldn't Google refusing to comply with China's requirements and therefore not offering service to Chinese users at all be an even more absolute form of censorship?


8 posted on 01/27/2006 3:44:39 PM PST by Antonello (Oh my God, don't shoot the banana!)
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To: Antonello

That depends if you think a half-truth is more dangerous than a lie.


9 posted on 01/27/2006 3:47:25 PM PST by FreedomNeocon (I'm in no Al-Samood for this Shi'ite.)
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To: WaterDragon

Ok folks, let's cut the BS. What is my next best alternative?


10 posted on 01/27/2006 3:49:27 PM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: FreedomNeocon
What you won't find in that google image search in China...


11 posted on 01/27/2006 3:50:44 PM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: FreedomNeocon
So being able to Google egg roll recipes but not articles on Taiwan independence is more dangerous than not being able to Google either?
12 posted on 01/27/2006 3:52:33 PM PST by Antonello (Oh my God, don't shoot the banana!)
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To: Antonello

Why would you assume that if Google is willing to censor in China, for profit, that it won't censor anywhere else including America?

CNN censored in Iraq, so they could stay in the country (and protect their profit margin). CNN censored information to Americans. Google is declaring a willingness to censor in order to increase its profits, China today -- America tomorrow?. That's the bottom-line.


13 posted on 01/27/2006 3:53:44 PM PST by WaterDragon
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To: Antonello

Misrepresenting history is the dangerous part, but MOST dangerous is when people like you start saying 'good enough' to freedom to info on the net.

Slippery slope and all that...


14 posted on 01/27/2006 3:56:34 PM PST by FreedomNeocon (I'm in no Al-Samood for this Shi'ite.)
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To: FreedomNeocon
# of hits on your 'tiananmen - Google Image Search in China' now: 414.

# of hits on your 'tiananmen - Google Image Search in China' before Google agreed to comply with China's restrictions: 0.

More hits = an increase in censorship to you?

15 posted on 01/27/2006 3:57:01 PM PST by Antonello (Oh my God, don't shoot the banana!)
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To: FreedomNeocon
Misrepresenting history is the dangerous part, but MOST dangerous is when people like you start saying 'good enough' to freedom to info on the net.

How about if what I am saying is 'better than before, and we can work on even more once we get our foot in the door'?

16 posted on 01/27/2006 3:58:17 PM PST by Antonello (Oh my God, don't shoot the banana!)
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To: WaterDragon

I have said it before on this site, GOOGLE has an AGENDA! They pay where they want and fold where necessary. Google is a LIBERAL PUKE COMPANY and I stand by that statement. Call me what you want, but they balance themselves all the way. I have a word for those kind of people. I call them "PRETENDERS".

- Bubbahater


17 posted on 01/27/2006 3:58:48 PM PST by Bubbahater (Fourth time poster, long time reader)
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To: WaterDragon
Why would you assume that if Google is willing to censor in China, for profit, that it won't censor anywhere else including America?

It already does. Or do you really think there are no kiddie porn sites in existence somewhere in the world just because they don't show up on a Google search?

18 posted on 01/27/2006 3:59:50 PM PST by Antonello (Oh my God, don't shoot the banana!)
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To: FreedomNeocon
Thanks for that.

Very enlightening.

I wonder what eventually happened to that 'lone protester'?

19 posted on 01/27/2006 4:03:49 PM PST by rvoitier ("Democrats are the only reason to vote for Republicans." -- Dr. Thomas Sowell)
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To: FreedomNeocon

That's just wrong.


20 posted on 01/27/2006 4:05:41 PM PST by DigitalVideoDude
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