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Google is planning to launch a censored version of its search engine in China that will blacklist websites and search terms about human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protest, The Intercept can reveal.
The project – code-named Dragonfly – has been underway since spring of last year, and accelerated following a December 2017 meeting between Google's CEO Sundar Pichai and a top Chinese government official, according to internal Google documents and people familiar with the plans.
Teams of programmers and engineers at Google have created a custom Android app, different versions of which have been named "Maotai" and "Longfei." The app has already been demonstrated to the Chinese government; the finalized version could be launched in the next six to nine months, pending approval from Chinese officials.
Or does it not? China denies google's plans for a censored version
[...] Chinese state-owned Securities Times, however, said reports of the return of Google's search engine to China were not true, citing information from "relevant departments".
But a Google employee familiar with the censored version of the search engine confirmed to Reuters that the project was alive and genuine.
On an internal message board, the employee wrote: "In my opinion, it is just as bad as the leak article mentions."
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Fluffeh on Friday August 03 2018, @12:42AM (6 children)
So if you want to "Do No Evil" (and I get that it is fading from Google - that's another discussion) but what is worse?
=> Don't provide a service at all - because it isn't all that you want it to be and you don't agree with the "Power's that be" etc.
=> Provide a lesser service - strip some results out, but potentially still provide a better service then what is currently available.
I've tried to make it an even question - I've got an opinion, but I'm curious what the other 'Lentils think.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @01:06AM (4 children)
Different countries have different laws (written or otherwise) and Google been censoring stuff to accommodate those laws for years. A very partial list can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_by_Google [wikipedia.org]
But that's really just the tip of the iceberg. There are regional equivalents to DMCA in many other countries that the local governments use to blacklist certain content knowing no abroad would bother changeling. This way, Google can maintain the position they're only enforcing copyright laws.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @02:07AM (2 children)
Don't care what weasel words you use, they are still supporting a corrupt and over reaching government. I know someone in Alphabet took a business ethics course so they can't feign ignorance.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @04:59AM
And? Is it for Google to refuse supporting them? Is that you have in mind?
How about Google no longer supporting the corrupt and overreaching US government? Like, I don't know, get out of that market and stop paying taxes?
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Friday August 03 2018, @07:00PM
Unless you live on unclaimed land and don't pay taxes, you are supporting a corrupt and overreaching government. So am I, and everyone else here. You have a few options:
1. Pack your bags and leave society.
2. Revolution.
3. Try to change the system from within.
Google isn't really in a position to do 1, and it doesn't have the military might to do 2.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday August 03 2018, @06:01PM
Different countries have different laws (written or otherwise) and Google been censoring stuff to accommodate those laws for years.
Agreed, thinking this is something NEW Google is doing just demonstrates the blind-spot Americans have for our own accepted censorship. Google has been censoring stuff according to the DMCA for twenty years now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @11:44AM
Provide the service, provide VPN, proxies, .onion, and say fuck you when they try block shit. Doing nothing while evil occurs is tacit approval of evil.