Google now says it’ll be censoring information available through its newly-launched China Web site.
In this way, the search giant’s appeasing the Chinese government enough to win a business license. In return, it gets a local Web address that, in theory, creates better access to the China search market.
China’s abundant population, and growing economic clout, makes it a juicy target for any enterprise. That’s one of the reasons why Yahoo and other of Google’s competitors have made the same tradeoff with local authorities in the past.
The timing of the Google announcement is an eye-opener. Just a few days ago, it was disclosed that Google’s refusing, on privacy grounds, to turn over millions of search terms and Web sites wanted by the Department of Justice. Just a few days later, it announces it’s cooperating with a foreign power.
Am I alone in wondering how this tradeoff (access for censorship) plays with the Googleites still believing the company’s “Don’t Be Evil” business model?