The indignant condemnations came quickly for Google. Last week, news surfaced that the company was blocking access to certain politically sensitive terms and websites on its new China site. Since then, Congressman Chris Smith (R., N.J.) has accused Google ” which boasts “Don’t Be Evil” as its corporate motto ” of enabling evil. Reporters Without Borders has denounced Google for hypocrisy. Pundits have lambasted Google for kowtowing to a corrupt, authoritarian regime.
But Washington too, knows quite a bit about doing business with this corrupt, authoritarian regime.
See also “Search Engine Diplomacy” from Slate:
Google and the others should remember that censorship runs counter to what brought them success. Without the free flow of information the Internet allows, each of them would be a fraction of the size they are today. Instead of rejiggering their products and mission for each country, they should apply one set of ethical standards across all borders. A global code of ethics might also make business sense. One standard always costs less than several different ones. If it’s more efficient to build one camera for every market than 20 different cameras for 20 different markets, then wouldn’t the same be true in information technology?
Also:
-“Anti-China hypocrisy in Congress?” from CNet News
-“New motto: Don’t be unprofitable” from Fortune.
-“Tech under attack” from Fortune.
-“How Google Censors its Chinese Portal” from the San Francisco Chronicle
-The official page of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.
–Google’s submission to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus
–More on this topic, via Google News.
