Google to uncensor it's China services.

Ducky · 22nd March 2010, 01:51 PM

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/...na-update.html

A bit of good news, as far as I see. The solution is a bit hack-ey, but the end result is to be applauded.

Quote:

On January 12, we announced on this blog that Google and more than twenty other U.S. companies had been the victims of a sophisticated cyber attack originating from China, and that during our investigation into these attacks we had uncovered evidence to suggest that the Gmail accounts of dozens of human rights activists connected with China were being routinely accessed by third parties, most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on their computers. We also made clear that these attacks and the surveillance they uncovered—combined with attempts over the last year to further limit free speech on the web in China including the persistent blocking of websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Docs and Blogger—had led us to conclude that we could no longer continue censoring our results on Google.cn.

So earlier today we stopped censoring our search services—Google Search, Google News, and Google Images—on Google.cn. Users visiting Google.cn are now being redirected to Google.com.hk, where we are offering uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via our servers in Hong Kong. Users in Hong Kong will continue to receive their existing uncensored, traditional Chinese service, also from Google.com.hk. Due to the increased load on our Hong Kong servers and the complicated nature of these changes, users may see some slowdown in service or find some products temporarily inaccessible as we switch everything over.

JoeTheJuggler · 22nd March 2010, 02:07 PM

<derail>
I think you should have your Language Award revoked for misuse of "it's".
</derail>

Safe-Keeper · 22nd March 2010, 05:46 PM

Quote:

I think you should have your Language Award revoked for misuse of "it's".

Shouldn't it also be "Chinese" services? Or are we discussing teapots here?

Or am I wrong?
</further derail

>

More on-topic, though, this is great news.

Wolfman · 22nd March 2010, 07:18 PM

I've commented in much greater detail on this here...but in short, Google's decision actually means relatively little for 'internet freedom'. Yeah, they'll give you a list of search results...but most of the sites in those results are blocked by the Chinese gov't, so the information is still not really available. You just have a greater ability to find out what information is blocked.

22nd March 2010, 01:51 PM	#1
Ducky Titanium Puprhero Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mayor of your front lawn. Posts: 12,296	Google to uncensor it's China services. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/...na-update.html A bit of good news, as far as I see. The solution is a bit hack-ey, but the end result is to be applauded. Quote: On January 12, we announced on this blog that Google and more than twenty other U.S. companies had been the victims of a sophisticated cyber attack originating from China, and that during our investigation into these attacks we had uncovered evidence to suggest that the Gmail accounts of dozens of human rights activists connected with China were being routinely accessed by third parties, most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on their computers. We also made clear that these attacks and the surveillance they uncovered—combined with attempts over the last year to further limit free speech on the web in China including the persistent blocking of websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Docs and Blogger—had led us to conclude that we could no longer continue censoring our results on Google.cn. So earlier today we stopped censoring our search services—Google Search, Google News, and Google Images—on Google.cn. Users visiting Google.cn are now being redirected to Google.com.hk, where we are offering uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via our servers in Hong Kong. Users in Hong Kong will continue to receive their existing uncensored, traditional Chinese service, also from Google.com.hk. Due to the increased load on our Hong Kong servers and the complicated nature of these changes, users may see some slowdown in service or find some products temporarily inaccessible as we switch everything over.

22nd March 2010, 02:07 PM	#2
JoeTheJuggler Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St. Louis Posts: 26,774	<derail> I think you should have your Language Award revoked for misuse of "it's". </derail>
	__________________ "That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way." —Ponder Stibbons

22nd March 2010, 07:18 PM	#4
Wolfman Chief Solipsistic Autosycophant Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dongguan, China Posts: 11,809	I've commented in much greater detail on this here...but in short, Google's decision actually means relatively little for 'internet freedom'. Yeah, they'll give you a list of search results...but most of the sites in those results are blocked by the Chinese gov't, so the information is still not really available. You just have a greater ability to find out what information is blocked.
	__________________ The Meta-Solipsistic Autosycophant mantra: "I post, therefore I am nominated"

22nd March 2010, 05:46 PM	#3
Safe-Keeper Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sogndal, Norway Posts: 7,112	Quote: I think you should have your Language Award revoked for misuse of "it's". Shouldn't it also be "Chinese" services? Or are we discussing teapots here? Or am I wrong? </further derail > More on-topic, though, this is great news.