Google, the
largest Internet search engine and arguably one the world's most
influential corporations, announced on Tuesday, January 12th that it would stop censoring
search results in China. This decision came after
Google discovered 'highly sophisticated and targeted attacks' on
its corporate infrastructure from China. Dozens of Gmail
users who are advocates of human rights in China were
also targeted by the cyber attacks.
The statement
on Google's official blog declared: "We have decided we
are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on
Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing
with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate
an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at
all."
Remarkably, just hours after this statement was
issued, journalists in Beijing were reporting that the
censors had been lifted, a move that may result in Google.cn
being shut down by the Chinese government and Google withdrawing
from China altogether.
Read SFT's statement in response to Google's decision, including a quote from Tenzin Seldon, SFT's regional coordinator in California, whose Gmail account was hacked.
 Four years ago, when Google
created Google.cn, a custom-built search platform that adhered
to Beijing's cyber restrictions, SFT publicly opposed the move.
SFT members organized protests at Google offices
worldwide, including at their headquarters in Mountainview,
California. We also launched the 'No Luv for
Google Campaign' and initiated an online boycott of the
search engine. More than 12,000 people agreed to "break up" with
Google on Valentine's Day. Watch an entertaining video of
the Google "break up" in New York.
Thank you to
everyone who took action opposing Google.cn in 2006 - your
emails, phone calls, and faxes made a difference.
Google's decision to stand up to Beijing is a landmark
victory for freedom of expression, freedom of information, human
rights, and the Tibet movement and is likely to have
implications for other western companies operating in
China.
Access Now - a media freedom organization is asking people to sign a petition calling on Google to stand by its decision.
Let this be a wake-up call to corporations and political
leaders everywhere: colluding with Beijing's repressive policies
does not bring about positive change or greater freedoms in
China and Tibet. As we applaud Google's breakup with Beijing, we
call on other companies and governments to also stand up to the
Chinese government's tyranny.
In
solidarity,
Tendor, Kate, Tendolkar, Schuyler, Nathan,
Lhadon and the entire SFT HQ crew
Read more
coverage of Google's announcement:
In Google’s Rebuke of China, Focus Falls on Cybersecurity (references the experience of Tenzin Seldon, SFT's regional coordinator
in California who was one of the dozen Google users to be hacked)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/technology/14google.html
Google's
Chief Legal Officer on CNBC: http://is.gd/6cExi
Washington
Post on implications for the Chinese government: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011301168.html
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