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Google Plans to Launch Censored Search Engine in China, Leaked Documents Reveal

posted by mrpg on Friday August 03 2018, @12:30AM   
from the censorship dept.

JesusAmieiro writes:

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."

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Original Submission

• re Human Rights re Human Rights (Score: 5, Insightful) by jelizondo on Friday August 03 2018, @06:17AM (1 child)

  by jelizondo (653) on Friday August 03 2018, @06:17AM (#716570) Journal

  This is going to be unpopular but the truth always is.

  Take a non-partisan point of view. Google and Facebook are asked to suppress “fake news” in the U.S., China wants to suppress “fake news” too. The only difference is what constitutes, in each country, “fake news”.

  In the U.S. this censorship can be construed as a violation of the right to free speech, that is why the government does openly not order Google and others to suppress the speech, but there is political (and social) pressure to do so.

  But “free speech” is different on different countries.

  • In Germany, any Nazi-related speech is criminal and can lead to jail. Anyone against Germany for violating the right to free speech?
  • Denmark has just passed a law prohibiting women from wearing burqas in public. Anyone against Denmark for forcing women to dress in a way contrary to their religious beliefs, i.e., violating their right to religious freedom?

  Is China violating human rights? Clearly they do. As seen from the U.S. and Europe. Is Germany violating human rights? Yes, from a U.S. perspective. Is Denmark violating human rights? Yes, from a U.S. perspective.

  Until we accept a world-wide governing body, issuing laws for all, human rights are country-specific.

  Now ask yourself, should U.S. businesses spread the U.S. point of view? Should they only pursue profits? Who gets to decide which?

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+3
  Insightful=2, Interesting=1, Total=3
  Extra 'Insightful' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		5

• Re:re Human Rights (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:40AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 03 2018, @07:40AM (#716580)

  In Germany, any Nazi-related speech is criminal and can lead to jail. Anyone against Germany for violating the right to free speech?

  Yes.

  Denmark has just passed a law prohibiting women from wearing burqas in public. Anyone against Denmark for forcing women to dress in a way contrary to their religious beliefs, i.e., violating their right to religious freedom?

  Yes.

  Now ask yourself, should U.S. businesses spread the U.S. point of view?

  Which point of view? The US government does not respect freedom of speech either, though it's not as bad as other countries.

  Parent