SEL: Google Protests Starting in Response to Chinese Censorship

Search marketing in the new media era.

January 27, 2006

Google Protests Starting in Response to Chinese Censorship

There's a growing backlash now against Google for its decision to launch a censored Chinese search site:

Students for a Free Tibet Protest Outside Google
Discontinuing AdSense in Protest

And of course there's a slew of articles, with varying angles, digging into the apparent hypocracy of both censoring results and not being evil.

Google: In China, Be Evil?
Tibetans Outraged by Google's "Evil" Plan to Censor Content in China Google Defends Censorship

Changes Google made to its own site as a result of its censorship decision:
Google Removes Its Help Entry on Censorship

Censored Sites:
Overview of Sites Google Agreed to Censor in China

funny? sad? you decide:
A Visual of Google China

Is censorship evil? DUH. Is there a simple solution given Google's business imperative to be in China? Hell no. Can do search in China now and not be evil?

This may be Google's big brand tumble - no one made much of a stir when Yahoo and MSN censored results. This backlash is all about disappointment in the paragon of virtue.

Garrett French - MarketSmart Interactive | permalink | +marktd |