Google v. Beijing: Cyber conflict has large implications
Ryan Rosback
Issue date: 1/21/10 Section: Opinion
In January 2006, internet supergiant Google launched Google.cn, a Chinese-based version of the world's most used search engine and web applications. While the company agreed to allow China's strict rules regarding censorship, the folks at Google felt "that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results," as posted in their official blog earlier this month. Since then, relations between the two have been murky at best, with China failing to effectively pursue Google's demands to lessen restrictions to its public, yet Google reluctant to force the hand of one of their most powerful partners.
However, in December 2009, Google reported that they had detected a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google." The Chinese government's stringent oversight has long been a hot-button issue to human rights activists, but Google has never more than flirted with reacting to their incompliance.
Until now.
In response to the cyber attack, Google has threatened to shut down all of their Chinese operations and pull out of the country entirely. This would not only be a huge roadblock to the growing technological freedoms of the world's most populated country, but also mark the first time a major internet company has officially challenged China's excessive online control.
And if we are to take this news on its face value, there is no better company than Google to be the ones pushing the envelope. Since 2006, the ever-expanding Google.inc has become the most powerful player in China's cyber revolution. A complete withdrawal of services could be a disaster for each party involved. So, perhaps the real question should be "should we take this at face value?"
Since posting its plans to reconsider "a new approach to China" on its blog January 12, Google has yet to show any formal inclination of following through with their statement. Still, the company has remained adamant that China must significantly alter its censorship policy or else face consequences. As posted in the official blog:
However, in December 2009, Google reported that they had detected a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google." The Chinese government's stringent oversight has long been a hot-button issue to human rights activists, but Google has never more than flirted with reacting to their incompliance.
Until now.
In response to the cyber attack, Google has threatened to shut down all of their Chinese operations and pull out of the country entirely. This would not only be a huge roadblock to the growing technological freedoms of the world's most populated country, but also mark the first time a major internet company has officially challenged China's excessive online control.
And if we are to take this news on its face value, there is no better company than Google to be the ones pushing the envelope. Since 2006, the ever-expanding Google.inc has become the most powerful player in China's cyber revolution. A complete withdrawal of services could be a disaster for each party involved. So, perhaps the real question should be "should we take this at face value?"
Since posting its plans to reconsider "a new approach to China" on its blog January 12, Google has yet to show any formal inclination of following through with their statement. Still, the company has remained adamant that China must significantly alter its censorship policy or else face consequences. As posted in the official blog:
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