Article printed from SiteProNews: http://www.sitepronews.com
  HTML version available at: http://www.sitepronews.com/archives.html

Google.cn: The Internet As Beijing Sees It
By Joseph Pratt (c) 2006

In November, I wrote an article and referenced a trip that
ICMediaDirect.com's VP of Business Development, Diana Lee, took
to China. She participated in Shanghai's inaugural ad:tech
conference. It was a great trip and our company's ties with
China are stronger because of it. Like most Western companies
doing business in China, we're just doing business and there are
no extenuating circumstances. Google, the giant search engine,
cannot say the same.

China is an economic giant warming up to the power of the
Internet, but this hasn't been a perfect marriage so far.
Centralized power and the decentralized nature of the Internet
do not mesh well. Beijing feels compelled to exercise tight
control over whatever flow of information they can in order to
stifle potential dissent within Chinese society. A governmental
missive from 2000 states plainly that Internet providers must
restrict information that may "harm the dignity and interests of
the state". And it is into the centrally run, Communist waters
that Google waded into last week as they introduced their
localized Chinese search engine, Google.cn.

Google.com was already available to Internet users in China, but
the search engine launched Google.cn with the purpose of staying
competitive in the market, as China already has some big search
engines of their own, Baidu specifically. But there is a price
to pay. In a stance wholly contradictory to its stated purpose
Google must censor websites that the Chinese government finds
threatening. Just a few of these sites deemed not kosher
include: Bacardi.com, date.com, collegehumor.com,
jackdaniels.com, news.bbc.co.uk, pressfreedom.com, queernet.org,
and teenpregnancy.org. So, in addition to sites deemed critical
to Beijing, websites concerning sex, alcohol, and controversial
issues are forbidden on Google.cn, as well.

Now consider an excerpt from Google's IPO filing that reads:
"Don't be evil. We believe strongly that in the long term, we
will be better served - as shareholders and in all other ways -
by a company that does good things for the world even if we
forgo some short term gains. This is an important aspect of our
culture and is broadly shared within the company."

Google's foray into China is directly contradicting their
exuberant IPO statement. Perhaps they took idealism a little too
seriously, but that's forgivable. To date, none of Google's
actions have really amounted to anything more than wearing some
egg on their face. But Google isn't just any old company hawking
its products. These are historic times for the Mountain View, CA
bunch, and over the next few years their presence in China will
amount to much more than a search engine that censored
Playboy.com for the Communist government there.

If nothing else, the last two or three years have shown us the
inherent strength of the search engine - and none more than
Google. And I believe that an unintended consequence of Google's
controversial stance in China has an awareness increase of just
how influential search results can be. Comparisons of
"Tiananmen" searches are illustrating this. Several blogs are
showing split screen stills of keyword results using "Tiananmen"
on Google Images. Google.cn shows picture after picture of a
lovely park, while Google.com shows a screen full of those
infamous images of a lone protestor in front of menacing tanks.
Just one example of real time censorship is being beamed live
over the internet, brought to you by Google. It makes for
unintentional and terrible publicity for Google. Oddly timed,
too, considering Google's righteous defense here in the United
States against government intrusion into their own affairs.

From a business perspective Google's position is sound and
totally understandable. They knew they were in for a lump or two
for caving to Beijing. They said that providing some information
is better than providing none at all. In their own defense,
Google cited that less than 2% of websites were to be censored
on Google.cn - a mere pittance - yet this is the same company
that derided Yahoo for having as little as 1% of their index as
paid inclusion. Then it was about principle. Now it's about
business. Principle, not surprisingly, can go take a hike.

I repeat, Google's position is not wrong. It's almost silly to
envision a leading global company that can maintain preeminence
while staying true to a lofty (and now meaningless) definition
of "Do No Evil". But in a darkly ironic twist, Google may
someday find themselves in situations of flat out "We Do Evil
Right".

A benefit of search is privacy and Google backs user privacy to
the hilt here in the United States. Think of what privacy means
to users - people can seek help for alcohol and drug problems
without fear of ostracism, they can test the job market without
making waves, ask questions they may feel embarrassed asking
someone they know - all anonymously. Maybe we take this for
granted, but this is a powerful and useful asset for us.

Could anyone actually believe that Google will protect Chinese
Internet users if the powers in Beijing started making demands
for private search information on Chinese searches? Google has
entered China on Beijing's terms, compromised. When issues of
ethics arise Google won't have much to say because they are
clearly in China for the dough. The power of search, that we see
in China, can - and let's be frank, will be used against the
people someday. This would make Google, of "Do No Evil" fame -
somewhat complicit.

Until some big changes occur in Beijing I foresee much
awkwardness for the "Do No Evil" bunch's operation in China.
Simply put, the Party Leaders in Beijing have Google over a
barrel - I suppose that means selling out. If they cared only
about profits, this article might not have even been written.
But this is Google. And their product is a powerful tool and
they've already yielded it to some very powerful folks in
Beijing. This time it was to prevent the Chinese people from
accessing certain information. As this tool of search continues
to refine and become powerful, it's tough to say what Google
will be asked for. Perhaps Google will be coerced into giving up
the identities of their own users in China. It is anything but a
farfetched scenario. Is hypocrisy in big business expected?
Sure, to some degree. But this is dangerous hypocrisy.
================================================================
Joseph Pratt Media Analyst ICMediaDirect.com
(http://www.icmediadirect.com) email: joseph@icmediadirect.com
================================================================

Copyright © 2006 Jayde Online, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

SiteProNews is a registered service mark of Jayde Online, Inc.