Who Will Google Censor Next?

Our friend Cyrano sent me this link under the email heading, "Google Censoring Mohammed Cartoons?" I can't tell if any censorship is in play here, but how many people even suspected this sort of thing before Google caved to the Chicoms? This is an apt example of why Google is playing with fire by agreeing to censor certain content for certain markets. So far it's only the Chinese market, as far as we know, but once they show their willingness to bow to one master, how can we have any trust in them ever again?

Besides that, you just can't win the censorship game. No matter how much you hide there will always be something that gets through and pisses off "mastah." According to Brit Hume's Political Grapevine today:

The popular Internet search engine Google has come under fire for giving in to Chinese demands to filter out politically sensitive search results, but China is complaining that Google hasn't gone far enough. Unnamed officials tell one Beijing newspaper that Google needs to cooperate further in blocking "harmful information" and an editorial in another state-run paper accused the firm of sneaking into China like an "uninvited guest," then complaining about having to follow the law.

The Washington Post reports that the government has even raised issues with Google's Internet license to pressure the firm to comply with its demands, which include making a larger investment in China.

You can't lie with dogs without getting fleas.

On the web Posted by JohnGalt at February 23, 2006 4:09 AM