back to article China hits back at Google's uncensored Hong Kong servers

The Chinese government has attempted to restrict access to the Hong Kong–based servers where Google is offering uncensored search results to mainland China users. On Tuesday, according to The New York Times, mainland China users could not see uncensored Hong Kong–based content after the government either disabled certain …

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  1. Steven Knox
    WTF?

    Ah, I see.

    "We're uncompromisingly opposed to the politicization of commercial issues..."

    ...as is evidenced by your complete openness when it comes to search engine results?

  2. John Sanders
    Thumb Down

    What politization?

    (((( "This is totally wrong. We're uncompromisingly opposed to the politicization of commercial issues ))))

    What? to the Chinese officials censorship its just a commercial issue???

    I guess that to the Chinese government the regular Chinese citizen is a product too?, like cattle, or like companies like to call people, "a resource".

    Disgusting.

  3. Long Fei
    WTF?

    Gaaah!

    It's not just google.cn they've redirected, but Google.com as well! I'm not sure why they've done .com too, as that wasn't filtered (by Google) in China before anyway. (It was filtered by China though).

    I'll post updates on my blog ChinarensBlog.com if they change it. I can still reach country specific Googles though, like .co.uk, so doesn't really make much sense.

    Then again, half of what China does doesn't make much sense.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    More popcorn please....

    This is fun to watch.

  5. Joe 3
    Thumb Down

    That's rich!

    "We're uncompromisingly opposed to the politicization of commercial issues, and express our discontent and indignation to Google for its unreasonable accusations and conducts."

    Unreasonable accusations and conducts? Has the Chinese Communist Party looked in the mirror lately? (I.e. since about oooh 1949?)

  6. Grass Mud Horse
    Go

    Promises, promises

    "Google has violated its written promise it made when entering the Chinese market by stopping filtering its searching service and blaming China in insinuation for alleged hacker attacks"

    So, Google has promised in writing not to say anything, if PRC hackers attack? I'd like to see that ...

    Having done IT work in China, I can say from experience, that written contracts are usually not worth the paper, unless ... you violate *their* side of it. In any other dispute they suddenly mince words, fall back on "language diffulties", etc. Pure Sun Zi.

    "Lao wai hen sha, hen hao pian" (foreigners are stupid, easy to cheat). My handle is my reply.

    Google, I don't like you, but you have my full support on this one.

  7. Flybert
    Grenade

    ya know

    just stop doing business with China and stop buying their shit, ok?

    tell your corporations to have stuff manufactured in your region and stop buying from those that keep dealing with the Chinese .. talk with your pocketbook people !

    that is all

  8. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

    Could everyone in China use uncensored Google.hk before?

    Cos if that was so, I'd do that if I thought the secret police wouldn't catch me.

  9. CD001

    Hmmmm

    Now while I don't agree with WHAT the Chinese government is blocking (silencing the dissenting voices) I think they have the right to impose content filtering... every country does to some greater or lesser extent.

    It might be neo-nazi sites in Germany or kiddy-fiddling sites in the UK it makes no odds - Google are basically saying that they refuse to operate under local legislation in China - how can that be right?

    As Flybert said - if you want the international community to attempt to impose regime change in China try to get them to impose a trade embargo... and be prepared to pay the extra. Don't say that it's alright for Google to break Chinese law because you happen to disagree with it... it'll hardly work if you're nicked for smoking weed and say "well I don't agree with the law - so I'm ignoring it".

    1. Cameron Colley

      They're not breaking Chinese law, they're bending it.

      Besides, since the world is rapidly coming under the control of megacorps anyhow they're the best placed to stand up against governments like those of Chine, Australia and the UK who think that they can tell the people of their country what to think and what they may or may not learn or look at.

      I would go so far as to say it is not OK for any government to censor the internet for any reason but, since some people are determined to "think of the children", I would say that the government should only do it if the population vote in agreement and the block list is freely available to all.

    2. Michael Brown
      FAIL

      But Google is not breaking any laws

      No "normal" democratic country such as the UK or Germany tells Google what results it can or can't show. They may block access to sites returned in search results, but that's a completely different issue.

      By redirecting google.cn to google.com.hk Google isn't breaking any Chinese laws. They cleverly did that rather than let google.cn itself return uncensored results which, apparently, would be breaking China's ridiculous censorship laws.

    3. Atli

      @CD001

      "" I think they have the right to impose content filtering... every country does to some greater or lesser extent. ""

      Governments are tasked with protecting their people. Filtering out child pornography and violent racism is one thing; blocking all content that goes against the government's political, religious and moral opinions is a whole another thing. - The main difference is that in the UK and Germany, the people are aware of what is being blocked. Hell, if it wasn't being blocked, the people would probably demand that it were, with overwhelming majority.

      The Chinese government's excessive content blocking isn't protecting anybody but them selves. They are abusing their positions of power for their own gain, at the expense of their people; the people who's interest they should be protecting.

      Companies like Google are ideally positioned to challenge these abusive governments, and I hope more of them have the courage to do so. It may catch the attention of some of the Chinese people; many of whom -- mostly due to the content filtering -- are probably unaware that there even is a problem.

      ... Makes you wonder. What sort of abuse are we ourselves suffering, without our even knowing about it? ;)

    4. No, I will not fix your computer
      Megaphone

      Governments?

      Governments generally try and do what they can to maintain the society or create the society that they feel is most appropriate.

      China wants to reduce the risk of revolution and dissent and for such a populated country democracy, free markets and revaluation of the yuan could drive it into depression, whether you agree with it or not it does keep the country going (and very successful), the yuan could well become the reserve capotal of the world.

      The US (and UK to some extent because of dependent markets) need to maintain control of oil and therefore force the use of the dollar as reserve capital (the euro is the current threat), they do this by invading countries that threaten the fragile ol supply, this allows the US to function even though they have a huge deficit (the largest deficit in the world), so even though the US is effectively bankrupt their people live in comfort.

      You will have to decide which of these two approaches (repression of your own or theft of other peoples) is the morally more sound.

  10. Ed Burnette

    Is the quote on Android accurate?

    I can't find the quote about holding back Android apps from operators in China on any official Google blog or web site. Can you verify that and provide the source?

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Badgers

    @CD001

    "It might be neo-nazi sites in Germany or kiddy-fiddling sites in the UK it makes no odds - Google are basically saying that they refuse to operate under local legislation in China - how can that be right?"

    It ain't that easy. "The Law" in China is widely undefined, partly because There Is No Censorship In China. Stating "mentioning the Dalai Lama is illegal" would be the same as John Cleese saying "Jehovah" in Life of Brian. Whatever IP the censor deems undesirable becomes illegal, and you'll at least break the law once when you receive the ominous "connection refused by the server" which of course is the Great Firewall, breaking internet rules.

    When I googled "linux NAS" and clicked on "freenas.org" 9 months ago I broke the law of the land, because one of the thousands of morons in the non-existing censor offices had decided 'free' and '.org' - Wow! Block this! No instance you can ask why building your own storage server breaks the law, because There Is No Censorship In China.

    I agree that the Chinese must muddle through their doldrums on their own, they have been receiving too much "good advice", often condescending, from western uncles. They hate that, and it makes them stand behind their unloved government.

    But please don't call it "law" either.

    BTW: since about 8 months I can go to freenas.org, not all is lost. But it took them 2 years to notice.

    BTW 2: as of this evening google.hk is open again from South China. Losing *that* face was probably too painful. For now.

  12. M man

    smooth

    not bad google. I thought google had painted themselves into a corner....

  13. Homard

    Enormous social change

    China is undergoing this. Think about it - rice paddy farmer suddenly exposed to vast quantities of information. A bit like bringing diallup internet to hull.

    This brings huge changes in personal values and percieved freedoms. Yes it will be really great to get there in the end.

    But the Chinese authorities are charged with protecting the general population against all threats. I think they just don't know how to 'manage' this as it will truly alter their society.

    The problem is that 'revolutions' like this cost blood. How does one keep this as low as possible ?

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