Google in China (A)

The lead headline in the Wall Street Journal of January 13, 2010, read: "Google Warns of China Exit Over Hacking."1 The previous day, Google had posted an online memo stating that the company had detected highly sophisticated attacks originating from China on its computer systems and those of other companies. Evidence suggested that the primary goal of the hackers was accessing e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists, though the attacks on Google Gmail accounts were unsuccessful. The memo also stated that, since the launch of operations in China, company policy had been to weigh the benefits of increased access to information for the Chinese people against censorship of search results and other legal restrictions. Prompted by the attacks, as well as by China's moves during 2009 to further limit free speech on the Web, Google had concluded that it was no longer willing to censor search results and would initiate discussion with the Chinese government to operate Google.cn without censorship; it would exit China if its conditions were not met.

Western media included a wide variety of opinion about whether Google had been right to make this public threat. Some praised Google for standing up to an authoritarian government. Others felt that Google's public statement was foolhardy and not in the best interests of its employees, its shareholders, or its loyal Chinese users.

The Chinese media minimally reported the Google statement. Initial reports were short and quickly modified to delete references to free speech or surveillance issues. Xinhua, China's official news agency, carried only a brief statement saying that the government was seeking more information on the matter. Meanwhile, some Google users lit candles and laid bouquets of flowers outside the company's offices in Beijing.

Attachment:- case.pdf