Google.cn now rerouting to Hong Kong domain, an 'entirely legal' workaround to censorship woes
By Ross Miller 
posted March 22nd 2010 4:06PM
posted March 22nd 2010 4:06PM
Update: China has given its own response, in English, saying that Google has "violated its written promise." An official for the State Council Information Office goes on to say, " This is totally wrong. We're uncompromisingly opposed to the politicization of commercial issues, and express our discontent and indignation to Google for its unreasonable accusations and conducts." More details via Xinhuanet.
Update 2: The White House has chimed in. "We are disappointed that Google and the Chinese government were unable to reach an agreement that would allow Google to continue operating its search services in China on its Google.cn website," said National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer. More via Yahoo! News.
Update 3: The New York Times sat down, briefly, with Google co-founder Sergey Brin for a few elaborations on today's events. For starters, Brin noted that the new policy was entirely Google's idea, and the US government was not involved in any way. He also silenced whispers that Google would be releasing software for bypassing censorship. "I think those tools are going to come of their own accord. I don't think we have to do anything," he said.
How long before they have the site banned?
@schmidt1985 I didn't see the link to the "china service availability" page, so here it is:
http://www.google.com/prc/report.html
@schmidt1985 t-minus 5 min....
in b 4 communism.
It will definitely be interesting to see how this marketing ploy by Google turns out.
Don't get me wrong I'm in favor of what Google is doing and I hope this leads to the end of censorship in China. But from a business persepctive, Google is threatening to pull out because it's not making much headway in gaining marketshare, while Baidu consistently have 60% marketshare. This recent strategy to threaten to drop censorship not only differentiate Google's search engine product from others in China, but also generates alot of news over there and over here (in the US). As much I would like to believe that a company is putting ethics above profit, the reality is giving uncensored search access to China is the last of Google's concerns (esp. since they still offer censored search to numerous other countries). But since Google's goals and my hopes coincide, go Google!
@st33ld13hl
Google just needs to find a way to unblock youttube for a day. China will revolt...
@nmosfet
"Don't get me wrong I'm in favor of what Google is doing and I hope this leads to the end of censorship in China."
The only way censorship in China will end is if the Government is overthrown. Google needs China more than China needs Google.
@PlatinumSkeet
Yeah, sure, after they've watched all the videos of "Kid/drunkard at college party doing something stupid/out of rage/crazy". I think the government is as worried about heretical clips as they are about kids getting worse than they already are. If I could, I'd assign some of the stupid videos an age limit.
@PlatinumSkeet
or china could just get dumber for watching YouTube
@st33ld13hl Microsoft weeps in the corner....
@nmosfet
If you ever need proof that a company isnt just about the profits just look at googles move.
I salute them, i mean, with any luck it will allow *SOME* slack on censorship, other than that i can just see all off google executives being sent to drapchi prison faster than a tibetan monk XD
@st33ld13hl Their is a video of the news, Its kind of sad http://adtwik.com/home/2010/3/22/video-google-closes-china-operations.html
@daytripper Another quote, "We're uncompromisingly opposed to the politicization of commercial issues", no they're into the commercialization of political issues though.
@PlatinumSkeet Or they'll find Boxxy and riot until youtube is blocked again.
The United States Gov should hire Google as part of their cyber-warfare military division.
@schmidt1985 Well they haven't blocked the site all this time (yes all this time people in China could go to Google.com.hk and get uncensored results, with the only difference being that the site was in traditional Chinese although really anybody who reads simplified would be able to read traditional well enough to use Google without problems, and you can swap between traditional and simplified with simple software tools since they're just different "fonts" for the same characters), so unless they're feeling particularly retaliatory (which admittedly they might be) the site will be the same as it ever was.
The only real difference is that it'll stop people from being lazy and just using the censored engine.
@schmidt1985 The caveat though is the effects of Google losing its chinese business profits should china won't settle for a yes with Google's
new approach to make their searches 'uncensored' on google china. On the other hand, G would get the approval of the netizens in the name of freedom of speech. First reactions: http://bit.ly/google-vs-china-verdict
Before you can say "Chinese goverment sucks"!.
@Darkroom It's interesting that Google is basically making the status of government filtering of their sites public.
That way, the Chinese populous is constantly reminded of how much they're being stonewalled by the firewall when they're presented with a constant page telling them what they cannot have.
@bingster
We've just sent your parents a bill for 1 bullet, a bilndfold and the engagement of GuixauDong cleaning services to properly dispose of your body.
Have a nice day,
Your friendly Chinese e-government
Huh... Big talk. Little walk.
@AvengerLE
...And how is that. Mainland China for now has uncensored results. It might be blocked though, soon.
@AvengerLE
I thought it was spelled "W-O-K"?
@TheGM But see if Google hadn't made this whole commotion then anybody who hadn't been too lazy to go to Google.com.hk instead would have been able to search the uncensored results. Whereas now with all this hullabaloo it might get blocked in mainland China.
And yes anybody who can read simplified Chinese can read traditional Chinese (what was originally on the HK site) well enough to use Google search without problems. If they were too lazy to think for half a second about the words then they could have just told their computer to swap the fonts to the simplified version (lots of free browser plugins and software do this).
So really if China ends up blocking Google.com.hk then what has happened is that uncensored results will have actually gotten HARDER to get access to, not easier.
good to see they kept their words.
China blocks google.com.hk in 3 2 1
@al3d they've blocked tons of Hong Kong sites already, it's more important for them to block Chinese language uncensored sites than those in other languages.
Not a chance in the world.
I can't believe there's still stuff like this going on. Stop the oppression!
The censorship continues. Google departed China, but Microsoft remains there, still censoring for the Chinese government.
Wow. Bitch slap to the commies ftw.
@Bandigolo
Google = ALL AMERICAN
http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/images/google-20logos/july4-us-independence.gif
god I love google.
@ttennebk
You should watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrhogg#p/u/9/2Urc2DduAVM
@ttennebk It won't be long before vpn become a must-have for our ppl.
Interesting wording "none of [its] employees in China can, or should, be held responsible for them."
This basically indemnifies the locals from outward prosecution, however, I wouldn't like to be those people now.
@Witold some of google's local business partners are seeking google china for damage if google.cn is shut down and google exits china.
doesn't indemnify them from anything. they're gonna take those chinese workers apart like warm bread. you'll never hear or see them again.
@Witold It doesn't actually inidemnify them, it just allows Google to point at the Chinese government and say "you're bad" when their staff mysteriously fail to come to work tomorrow.
@Jason Murray Spelling fail. You suck.
@Mister Warmth It will be harder for the authorities to do that as it would be in full view of the global media.
The Chinese gov seems to have no problem with capitalism on their terms. Money flowing into the government (and personal) coffers makes a lot of hard line communists put down their little red books. Look at the Soviet Union. The Soviets knew how to make deals and be capitalists, but outwardly, they had to stick to the party line.
Most of the Elite Chinese party don't have filters on their lines, and they bypass the great Firewall. In their thinking, the unwashed masses need to have information filtered for them. I suggest people look for old Polish or Soviet newspapers where entire paragraphs were censored and the stories were a bunch of nonsequitors. The readers knew and the censorship was silly, but it was the law.
Information will be freed, its just a matter of time. I think what Google is doing is exposing (maybe inadvertently) the chinks in the armor of the Chinese government.
And if anyone thinks that they are doing this for 'the common good' is high. The Chinese market is huge, and Google wants unfettered and unfiltered access. This is step 1.
@Jason Murray
Personality integrity fail. You suck.
@Witold " I think what Google is doing is exposing (maybe inadvertently) the chinks in the armor of the Chinese government."
i see what you did there. :|
@Mister Warmth
mmm takeaway.
@Mister Warmth WOW. Sorry and all that, I didnt see that until you pointed it out. No offense to anyone, purely an accident.
@Mister Warmth Yes you will, they will be the people sweeping the streets in front of the Forbidden City with straw brooms.
I support Google in this decision. It seems that there needs to be more motion in the waters than just one company moving out because of the insidious business environment China has created for American companies, in order to get a real response. I doubt that it will happen though.
The United States agreed to reduced import tariffs from China to zero and in exchange China would allow American businesses to operate there. It would be nice if we could have some government negotiation with China allowing for a more open business environment.
Now I'm not trying to claim that American companies operate in good faith, it's still all about the profits. So I'm not trying to make the claim that some American companies aren't dicks (Microshaft anyone?) but Google certainly isn't one of those companies.
@Joe the Plumber
Google is focused on increasing profits. Don't forget that they are an advertising company. Many praise them as the Internet savior but I assure you the decisions we are seeing them make are purely in the company's financial interests.
I notice that the status page doesn't mention the Chinese government spying on GMail.
About time they offered uncensored access in China!
Win.
@Supply8
The Chinese government's next step will be to create a billion fake web pages, all referencing each other, thus manipulating Google's search results. The end result will be that any "controversial" or "illegal" Google search will return results with the top 500 hits pointing to the official web pages.