The Christian Science Monitor reports:
The ramifications of Google China’s move to stop self-censoring Web queries in China are just beginning to surface, but the decision is already adding pressure on other US technology firms doing business with Beijing.
Members of Congress blasted Microsoft Wednesday for continuing to comply with Chinese censorship laws. In the wake of Google’s stance, GoDaddy.com, the world’s leading provider of domain names, announced it would quit registering Chinese websites.
Many technology analysts say pressure will build not only on Microsoft but also on Yahoo as both companies run Chinese Web search engines and comply with censorship requirements.
Yet the New York Times reports, “Google Gets Little US Corporate Support in Internet Fight With China.”
Earlier this week, the Guardian reported on comments made by Google co[-founder Sergey Brin:
Brin saved his strongest criticisms for Microsoft, which he said had capitulated to the Chinese government and trampled over human rights merely in an attempt to score points over Google.
“I’m very disappointed for them in particular,” he said. “As I understand, they have effectively no market share – so they essentially spoke against freedom of speech and human rights simply in order to contradict Google.”
He was referring to comments by Microsoft chairman and co-founder Bill Gates, who told American TV – shortly after the revelations that Google had been attacked by hackers based in China – that Beijing’s censorship was “very limited”.
