Google is on the verge and threat
ens to pull out of China due to cyber attacks targeting human rights activists and censoring search queries. Google announced that the attacks were directed at its Chinese-language search engine and Gmail accounts. Other companies such as Adobe Systems confirmed similar cyber attacks on their China operations.
In 2006, when Google first entered the Chinese market, they agreed to adhere to local laws by self-censoring search queries. Google is currently runner up with 36% of the search market share, while Baidu, Chinese search competitor, holds 58% of the market.
On Google’s official blog, David Drummond, Google’s senior VP-corporate development and chief legal officer, stated:
“These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered–combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web–have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.”
Written by Chris C.