Google Goes to China

Google has followed Nixon and gone to China.

The search engine giant has launched a local site for users in the Chinese mainland, Google.cn.  The move was not without complications: Google agreed to filter content the Chinese government finds objectionable.  The concession drew uncharacteristic criticism for a company which is generally idolized in both the financial and popular media, but the lure of 100 million Internet users simply could not be ignored.

According to The Standard:

“China’s Internet is surrounded by a “firewall” intended to block messages or subjects the government finds objectionable - everything from independence for Tibet or Taiwan, to the Buddhist sect Falun Gong…

“The decision is likely to tarnish Google’s image with activists and civil libertarians… Yet the prize is too big to ignore. China is home to more than 100 million Internet users, second only to the US, and growing fast.”