Google's spat with Chinese government causes 'postponement' of Android phones
By Vlad Savov 
posted January 19th 2010 7:10AM
posted January 19th 2010 7:10AM
You have to love a good clash of legitimate titans, and they don't get much bigger than Google and China. After deciding to stop censoring its Google.cn results, the Mountain View company of evil-non-doers has stepped up its offensive with the announcement that two Android phones -- one from Samsung and one from Motorola -- which were slated to make their arrival on China Unicom on Wednesday have now been postponed. We'll read between the lines and guess that the phones will be "postponed" if China plays nice, or "never gonna happen" if it doesn't. Google seems intent on demonstrating the full impact of its potential withdrawal from China, and this show of its sway with mobile manufacturers will hardly go unnoticed.[Thanks, David Casteneta]
Oh, no, China won't get a cell phone model. That will force them to become a democracy.
Well, it might have worked if China didn't already has 5000 other cell phones models to choose. Not to mention, they probably make these phones and have knockoff's running already.
Do y'all know who you is f*cking with?
Meh. It doesn't matter whether these moves will make any difference in China or whether Google has ulterior motives, I think the important thing here is that the issue of free speech in China is making the news. Freedom of expression will win out in the end and I applaud Google for standing up for it however it can.
Someday the Chinese people will be free and this move by Google will be seen as an early step towards that.
@grahamj
you can find a similar situation right here in american soil.
"to see the mote in our neighbour's eye and not the beam in our own".
@magallanes Indeed! Except I'm not American :)
@magallanes You're certainly right though, your government is trying to censor you too, only they call it copyright. In a way the US government is worse because they push their censorship on other countries too:
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/01/15/us-to-costa-rica-you.html
@magallanes And don't forget ACTA!
@grahamj Since when is protecting somebody's work from being stolen called "censorship"? Copyrights are generally good except for when you have copyright whores such as apple that copyright absolutely anything and everything.
@Frawley Blocking or removing posting of the DeCSS code, for example, was censorship in the name of copyright. Copyright aims to control communication of certain works or concepts - that is censorship.
@grahamj
That's a curious argument. Not sure I can navigate that.
ummm, what?
Isn't it in Google's interest to sell their phones in China? Why should the chinese government care about that? When i read the title i thought the chinese government "postponed" the availability of Android phones until Google changed its mind and started censoring again. IMO that would make a lot more sense
Google.cn is still censored, the result are the same before and after they announced they will stop censoring the search result.
Sheesh if Google pretty much runs the world. I find it hard to believe that they haven't caught "Sloping Dragon" yet....
Could it make any difference? China is much, much bigger than Google and is essentially an Android cash cow waiting to be milked. I can't believe the goog is so caught up on American moralism that it would take ANY sort of chance versus the potential payout of having China on the hook. It's gotta just be a pro-western movement designed to inspire us to think, "be patriotic; support Google."
@Dan Fruzzetti
Are you twelve years old? Do you ride the short school bus?
@Dan Fruzzetti I Totally agree with that, china doesn't care if google never existed. China doesn't need google.
@Dan Fruzzetti
Ya, it's cool to go the relativist route and pooh-pooh "American moralism" until it's your family member that disappears for thinking things that aren't in the "best interest of the state."
Way to go Google - don't cave in to China.... someone has to man up to them...
Fuck China I say...
@micanuck let me amend that... Fuck China's GOVERNMENT.... I feel sorry for their citizens that just want access to unfiltered/unbiased information like the rest of the world...
isnt android supposed to be free for manufacturer so anybody can just build a phone and put it on?
or it's PURE EVIL?
It's totally beyond me: why would anyone believe that Google's action in this drama is of any noble motivation?
Chinese regime has always been very politically repressive and taken extremely tight control over media. It's not a secret and did not happen yesterday. I think that the real reason for Google's lashing out against China is that Google's failed attempt for the position of the emperor's favorite concubine.
On the one hand, with its power and influence, Google thinks it deserves #1 position anywhere. On the other, as an repressive regime, China does not (and never will) allow any foreign media company to gain much influence, especially those powerful ones like Google. It's nothing against Google (or any individual US business) in particular.
After having been slept with Chinese government for almost 5 years, for Google to suddenly claim its virginity/martyrdom for the western values is simply not credible. Now, finally realizing its goal of becoming #1 in Chinese market is unattainable, Google is behaving like a bully, trying to destroy everything to make a scene. Much like an egomaniac, incapable of thinking straight.
What Google is now doing actually proves: at least from Chinese government's perspective, its policy of limiting influence of foreign media companies is quite wise. Sure, Google may do some damage to China. But it's very limited.
@b433402615
Maybe Google pissed cause the Chinese government hacked into some activist's Gmail accounts? Seem pretty noble compared to what Yahoo did with their email users.
Google pulling out of China (largest and fastest growing market) where they presently have a 25% market share doesn't make Google look like a hooker, islamic extremist, or bully. It shows that they are a company that value somethings other than the bottom line, and in the business world today, I think that's something everyone should recognize and applaud.
The nobility of Google's actions aren't contingent on wether or not China is "Damaged" or "Changes". "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing". At least in this case Google is doing something.
@ECH
There is a saying in China, the saying goes like this
" Wanting to be a hooker and also wanting a plaque of purity."
This is exactly what Google is doing. Google has yet pull out of China or uncensored their search result. They just post that they are considering pulling out of China and refuse to censor their result, which neither of them come to light. Just a big PR Stunt.
@ECH
Are you saying Google did not willingly help Chinese government enforce its censorship in all these years it operates in China?
For Google to cry r*pe now is laughable.
If Google did care human rights/free speech in China that much, it should have quit Chinese market much earlier, maybe in the first few months of its operation.
As I can tell, this hacking incident you mentioned is just part of PR charade Google management put up to get attention. So far only Google itself is talking and we have yet to hear the whole story. Is it supposed to have 30 some victims in this incident?
Most Americans don't trust big corporations on most domestic issues. But, in case of a dispute with any foreign entity, many of them take side of big corporations wholeheartedly, because it's now all about "good against evil". What makes them suddenly so "good", "trustworthy" and "lovable"?
Yeah, I know, it's their "American" label. They do screw their countrymen all the time. However, when dealing with other countries, they are all "honest" and "noble" and we should all believer every single word they say.
@b433402615
Better late than never, and I couldn't care less about Google's motivations.
I'm for hurting Red China by any means necessary, and I don't care who, when, or why Red China is being hurt, just as long as it gets hurt.
@jgp
So now it's all about hotheaded feeling, not more rational thinking?
I personally don't hate Google at all. In all big American businesses, they may well be one of those better ones.
What I want to say is: in this Google vs China drama particularly, Google does not seem very credible and its behavior so far looks very immature. Much like a spoiled brat.
I think it's always hard for someone being #1 for so long to accept anything less.
Guys you seem to of forgotten all those hack attempts to access the accounts of human rights activists. This is a SERIOUS matter. It is possible that the government itself may of been involved and used Google employees within the corporate headquarters to do it. It's more than just profits. You guys seem to forget that the Chinese government has an interest in knowing that information, after all china has a terrible human rights record. If they are unscrupulous enough to do this then I wouldn't count out them putting rootkits in corporate thinkpads.
@Google
You might be right about what Chinese government did. However, Chinese government and many others have been doing this forever. Any repressive regime will try whichever way it can to suppress its opponents. Is this something new or unexpected?
Also, security is always a concern for any IT company. Even if this hacking incident happened as Google tells us, how could it be such a surprise or big deal for Google, after it has operated in China for almost 5 years. It's simply not credible.
With so many IT talents in house, why didn't Google put up some meaningful defense against such hacking in all these years?
It's like: you choose a known serial r*pist as your roommate, expecting it will not happen to you. What are you thinking?
@b433402615
I get your point. You are right they should of seen something like this coming.
In China, the worst thing is to make someone lose face, damn the truth or justice. Google has just crossed that line. And no one has thinner face the the Communist Party (and of course they will rile up nationalist sentiment to make it seems like the American imperialistic/capitalistic are trying to keep the Chinese down...again).
I think Google is smart enough to know that the never happen bit will come sooner than later so they just preempt the Chinese government. Clevrer.
The part that will hurt them even more is the likely daily visits from the Red Hackers brigades.
Mucho props to Google for their stance...and good luck guys.
I say why don't Google and American hackers hack into the Communist Party?
@websoup
How do you know that we haven't done that yet?
"If we tell you, we have to k!ll you." That's why. You can either be knowing or alive. Not both.
@websoup
However horrible Chinese government's media control policy might be, it's not against Google only. All Chinese/foreign media companies have to comply with no exception.
As far as I can see, in this Google vs China drama, Google is the one who is too thin-skinned. All the noise it's been making so far is a PR effort to save its face. So Americans do care their "face" too.
But it's only my personal opinion.
...but aren't all phones Made In China? I'm sure there will be an equivalent out there before the original ever makes it to the rest of the world anyway.
For the record, I support what we understand to be Google's side of the story.
If we (the rest of the world) stop purchasing products that were made in China and supporting companies that have investments in China THEN we will show them a thing or two.
But that degree of solidarity doesn't exist in today's fickle and selfish consumer economy. (Typed on an HP keyboard that was made in China.)
@HektikLyfe good luck forming such solidarity to all refrain from buying chinese made crap. there's an old chinese says goes sth like :people die for money, birds die for food. google dare threaten pulling out cuz they wouldn't be losing as much money as say microsoft or motorola would if they declared war with the chinese government. as far as the hacking of human rights activists' gmail accounts, just an excuse to start sth up. after all they can't just rise up after five years of censoring and say ok we're sick of doing this. they needed sth to trigger the event, and at the same time gain more support from the west.
I dont get it. Google doesnt actually make the phones correct? They make the OS. Which is distributed freely and open sourced to the carriers/manufacturers. Therefore isnt it up to the manufacturer to add any customization such as filtering required by local authorities? How would google be able to stop the phones from being released isnt that up to the manufacturers/carriers?
Chips made in Taiwan product complete in China. how google gona stop it? If they try to out source to other place it will cost extra 10~30% $$ for each device. Don't think anyone will stupid to fight with their own wallet. At last Freedom is Not "Free"!!!
Like that's gonna make a difference if android phone "never happens".
Google is way over it's head.
Not exactly convincing as to Android's openness, then.
Android: So Open You Can't Release An Android Phone Unless Google Says Yes...
To theedude
@(Unverified)
"newsflash guys, talking about wars and nukes on the internet doesn't make you any cooler or tough."
I agree!
To Abe
@theedude
"No, but it doesn't make them wrong either."
Abe, it make them wrong.
To cherryboom
"We in America also have 25 thousand nukes. Bring it on!"
Spoken like a true 14 year old.
All: We who are Americans have been stupidly squandering our wealth and credibility for decades. Our country is on it's way to receivership. This recession is a wake up call. Will we listen and learn or just bluster our way into self created poverty and world ridicule?
If the chinese government are in the habit of hacking to other country's server, I say the rest of the world hacker should unite and just bring down the Great China Firewall instead... an eye for an eye
oh, btw, heard from CNN that google is investigating whether it might be chinese google employee themselves are involved in this hacking... you can never trust your own employees..
A Russian owns google... I won't be suprised if he steers google away from China. It will hurt china more than it will Google.
no official phone? no worries we will get to work and create a KRF one within a month after all we have pleanty of swetshops and alot of people to keep busy lol.