Google contemplating pulling out of China

**Flexi Web Host** · 01-12-2010, 05:28 PM

Just some breaking news about Google. In the last 15 minutes Google have released a statement stating they are no longer planning on censoring search results any more.

The censorship was a major agreement with the Chinese government a few years ago to allow them to operate in the country.

However Google has suffered an attack that they beleive was aimed at accessing Gmail account of human rights activists within China cwhich seem s to have prompted their decision to no longer censor,

UPDATE 1-Google says may pull out of China after Web attacks | Reuters

HE · 01-13-2010, 01:21 AM

What?! S**t! It's unimaginable...

I don't have to one day without Google, i can't imagine the life without Google...

But anyway, i can understand them...

HE · 01-13-2010, 02:19 AM

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/...-to-china.html

**Bodis.com** · 01-13-2010, 02:33 AM

The security attack I bet was ran by same people that are scamming the parking companies from that area. It's probably all 1 big group. They have access to a lot of resources, but are sloppy.

**draggar** · 01-13-2010, 04:55 AM

So what will happen - ISPs that service people in China will block Google?

Wasn't the internet designed to go around "damage"?

HE · 01-13-2010, 05:46 AM

:(

**owntag** · 01-13-2010, 07:43 AM

National Area Network (NAN) ROCKS!

Chinternet RULES!

**Anthony Ng** · 01-13-2010, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by HE

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/...-to-china.html

I for one don't buy that the CORPORATE Google is truly on such a moral high ground. Like I posted in another thread in Gold Cafe (mods may want to merge these 2 threads), the two sides are in a tug of war right now. To Google, it's ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY. To hell they care about censorship.

**Flexi Web Host** · 01-13-2010, 08:14 AM

HE that is very true. The UK also has a firewall but is meant for blocking sites such as paedohpile sites etc. Australia uses the same system as the UK and the list of blocked sites was leaked a couple of years ago and for some strange reason sites such as a Dentist website was blocked.

China is of course a lot more restrictive in that it blocks sites that they do not agree with or do not follow their rules.

**Flexi Web Host** · 01-13-2010, 08:15 AM

I agree nameslave. They are way too late for the moral high ground, they lost that when they agreed to modify results. I think it much more likely they are hiding the real reason or using this as an excuse.

**draggar** · 01-13-2010, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by HE

(snip)

TY for the feedback. The sad thing is that many countries / ISPs block sites - even "free" countires (try to find a site promoting travel form the USA to Cuba - you won't because our government shuts them down - even ones for Europeans).

Your sig reminds me of my home state's motto (New Hampshire): Live Free or Die.

Originally Posted by Flexi web host

HE that is very true. The UK also has a firewall but is meant for blocking sites such as paedohpile sites etc. Australia uses the same system as the UK and the list of blocked sites was leaked a couple of years ago and for some strange reason sites such as a Dentist website was blocked.

China is of course a lot more restrictive in that it blocks sites that they do not agree with or do not follow their rules.

The US does the same (see the above post) plus if net neutrality fails then ISPs will be allowed to block / promote sites on their own.

HE · 01-13-2010, 09:00 AM

Hehe, you guys will never understand... the Great Firewall is not just FIREWALL...

Btw, i always love my country, my home... Just say they do some things are not cool and not right...

----
@ NS,
I understand your feeling, but i can't agree with you. Of cause all companys care making money, but this time it's far beyond simple...
I know you can read and listen chinese, please pay close attention to CCTV if you want, you will know more... And this time it's not JUST for Google...

**draggar** · 01-13-2010, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by HE

Btw, i always love my country, my home... Just say they do some things are not cool and not right...

It's the governments that are our biggest problems. In college I had some good friends from some places the US government would want me to hate (and I mean they grew up in these places) - Iran, China, Vietnam, North Korea, Iraq, the former USSR and Soviet-bloc countries, etc..

The only "hate" they saw was coming from their government (and schools / news). Most of the people didn't hate the countries (heck, my friends from Teheran (Iran) said the people want Levi jeans, McDonalds, rock & roll music (or pop etc.), Dunkin Donuts, etc. it's the government that didn't want it.

Personally, I'd LOVE to travel to Cuba some day, I hear it is a beautiful country. Right now it's not worth going to jail over. I hear parts of Iran are beautiful, too (I'm sure most countries have areas like this) but I'm sure either the US government or the Iranian government would throw me in jail for going there. :(

As for political firewalls, a lot of it is political and I do see what people are talking about - not tojust block inappropreate sites (illegal - who is the judge on that anyway?) but could also be used to see who is trying to access what sites. Don't worry, I'm sure the US government does, too. I'm sure if I started looking on a lot of anarchist sites, bomb making, terrorism sites, etc.. that my own "free" government would start tracking me.

Back to the subject - Google is in it for the money (like any corporation in the USA). They make their money though ads (most of it) and if a country's ISPs will block their ads and have them block a lot of the sites they mke money from then why continue to service that country?

**axeman** · 01-13-2010, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by ShytKicker

The security attack I bet was ran by same people that are scamming the parking companies from that area. It's probably all 1 big group. They have access to a lot of resources, but are sloppy.

It's an open secret that the Chinese government employs teams of hackers, and yes, they are sloppy.

**draggar** · 01-13-2010, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by axeman

It's an open secret that the Chinese government employs teams of hackers, and yes, they are sloppy.

What government doesn't? (And some are sloppier than others). Didn't the USSR state (in the late 1980s or very early 1990s?) that if someone hacked into their system to crash their financial system / cripple the country they considered it a "nukeable" offence? That sound like hackers were already employed by one country and possibly attempted something (why point out the weak point if someone didn't attempt to compromise it already?).

Cyber-terrorism is nothing new it's just getting more popular and more terrifying.

HE · 01-13-2010, 09:51 AM

@draggar

Hehe, you are right, thank you.

And you know, beijing olympics have a slogan "One World One Dream", i like that...

I'm sorry i brought the heavy topic, hehe.

Just

Have a nice day guys.

~HE

**John Baron** · 01-13-2010, 10:45 AM

imo google can not go all the way with it , too much money is already involve

**snicksnack** · 01-14-2010, 11:41 PM

Google might just loose too much money here in China and the "censoring" might just be a nice excuse to reduce it / pull out. Many other foreign companies (ebay.com for example) tried and pulled the plug, as they didn't stand a chance against the local competition. Google one day might just simply buy Baidu.com

**charlescarreon** · 01-15-2010, 02:01 AM

Seems like the g-men concluded they were being hacked by the government they have tried to serve so assiduously. That's gratitude for you. After all they'v done to keep the lid on dissent, I'm sure Sergei and Larry were thoroughly miffed.