Both Google and Yahoo have been criticized for censoring their search results in China. What are your feelings about this? Why should Google, or why should Google not, produce different search results for different countries?
When I first read about Google censoring their search results in China, I thought it was kind of ridiculous. Why should one of the biggest international Internet search engines have to censor what their whole purpose is? But, then Abelson in "Blown to Bits" stated, "In China: The technology creates greater government control of the information its citizens receive, and better tools for monitoring their behavior." This is obviously China's doing. China is a conservative country and the government wants to be able to control what it's citizens are able to search and read. If they are allowed to monitor what their citizens receive through the Internet, why not do it? Yeah, from the American point of view, we'd think that's taking away freedom, but in China, this is how they run their country and government. If they want to monitor what their citizens are doing on the Internet, then they will.
Also, after reading the Official Google Blog about China and their limited searches, Google doesn't really have a say. In the third paragraph, the Google Team says, "Google is committed to providing easy access to as much information as possible. For Internet users in China, Google remains the only major search engine that does not censor any web pages. However, it's clear that search results deemed to be sensitive for political or other reasons are inaccessible within China. There is nothing Google can do about this." Clearly, Google had to censor their search engine. If Google did not listen to China, then Google would be blocked altogether. And why would Google want that? Therefore, Google and China have made a compromise. If Google censors their search engine for China then China will allow Google to remain a search engine. "Google News does not show news stories, but rather links to news stories. So links to stories published by blocked news sources would not work for users inside the PRC -- if they clicked on a headline from a blocked source, they would get an error page. It is possible that there would be some small user value to just seeing the headlines. However, simply showing these headlines would likely result in Google News being blocked altogether in China (Official Google Blog, Google Team)." Therefore, Google should produce different search results for different countries. If Google wants to remain one of the biggest search engines on the web, they have to listen to their consumers. Websites these days get blocked if they don't follow the rules. You can't share anything and everything you want on the web without some of them having consequences. Different countries have different rules and laws about the Internet and Google and also Yahoo are doing their best to follow them so they aren't totally blocked from the search engine world. One of the main successes of owning a business is listening to your consumers and Google and Yahoo are doing their best so that their consumers are getting what they want.
Resources:
Blown to Bits, Hal Abelson.
Official Google Blog, the Google Team, http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2004/09/china-google-news-and-source-inclusion.html
"I pledge" DMM
Yes, since last year, Google has changed their stance and reached a small compromise. Kudos on looking beyond the question and informing yourself about more on this topic.
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