Google.cn "Very Likely" Replace Uncensored Google.com: Beijing News

It is "very likely" that all Chinese searches will be directed to Google.cn, a censored version of the search engine, for "practical consideration", the Beijing News said, quoting an unnamed Google China source.

Google recently told the US Congress:

We have recently launched Google.cn, a version of Google's search engine that we will filter in response to Chinese laws and regulations on illegal content. This website will supplement, and not replace, the existing, unfiltered Chinese-language interface on Google.com. That website will remain open and unfiltered for Chinese-speaking users worldwide. (My italic)

Here is an excerpt of the Beijing News report:

Google.cn将承载Google所有中文搜索

...... “或者最有可能出现的一种情况是，google.com中文网页的检索请求最终将全面被导向Google.cn网站……”《华尔街日报》这样预测。Google中国方面的人士昨天私下向记者表示，出于对现实的考虑，这一预测有很大的可能性。

本报记者彭梧

The Beijing News / Page B3 / February 21, 2006

Recent Posts On Google.cn:
Google & No Luv 4 Google
"Do No Evil" With Chinese Characteristics

Comments

[Tom - Daai Tou Laam]

Very interesting. Thanks for the heads up.

Technically speaking, it would not be that difficult to program the Great Firewall filters to do this rerouting.

Of course, my guess is that Google.Com will still be available to those who bypass the usual Great Firewall filters via proxies. {Though I could probably write a Great Firewall rule that would catch those requests to external proxies that leave google in plaintext in their request URLs.}

[myrick]

WaPo managed to dig out far more information on this than I did - with sources pointing to the Ministry of Information Industry using the license issue to pressure Google into stepping up censorship. Google isn't saying much (though if they are holding the line against the MII, they damn well wouldn't want to say so publicly.) Intriguing stuff.

[Letters from China]

For readers' reference, an excerpt of Asia Pundit's (AFX) report:

"Asked whether plans to redirect search requests were in order, a company spokeswoman said: 'We are operating both Google.cn and Google.com concurrently at this time.'

'We will not disclosed any detailed plans on our operation in China,' she added."

And WaPo:
"A source familiar with the government's position said the Ministry of Information Industries has raised the ICP license issue to put pressure on Google to comply with its demands. He said the government wants Google to make a larger investment in China and do more to censor its search results.

'The main problem isn't the ICP dispute, but the awkward relationship between Google and the Chinese government,' the source said. 'To be honest, the ICP dispute is a minor thing, and that's not what will get Google into trouble.'"

The licence dispute is at most a side issue and I was suprised by the fact that most English media outlets had covered only the ICP licence but not the redirection issues reported on the same page of the Beijing News. Of course, what the "Google China source" said could be said as rather opaque. But the same can be said about the ICP licence (when it comes to Chinese law in such a "sensitive area", who can be sure?)

* * *

Tom, I am a barely internet-literate blogger and hardly understand anything about the proxy. And I suspect an average mainland internet user doesn't use proxy either. The rumoured redirection (if true) must be a great leap backward.

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