Google to pull out of China soon, reports say

[SecularMotion]

Source: ComputerworldUK

Both Google and the Chinese government appear to be leaking word that the search firm may soon shutter its operations there as negotiations between the two break down.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that the Chinese government has begun informing news Web sites in that country that Google's Chinese site is likely to close soon.

Google first threatened to halt its operations in China after disclosing in January that an attack on its network from inside China was aimed at exposing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. At the time, Google also said it was reconsidering its willingness to censor search results of users in China as required by the government.

Read more: http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/government-law/legislation/news/index.cfm?newsid=19397

[derby378]

1. It's about damn time

Hey, Yahoo, are you paying attention to this?

[saigon68]

2. Can't wait to hear the DLC take on this

[WriteDown]

3. It only took a couple of years for Google to realize it's error.

Maybe they should sign all Chinese people up for Google Buzz?

[Romulox]

4. You don't threaten the Chinese gov't in public. You either pull out, or you don't

These "threats" are for our consumption, imo. Google and China will work it out in the twelfth hour, I'd reckon.

[WriteDown]

5. I did think that google's apology letter was interesting...

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/google_responds_to_privacy

[Lagomorph]

9. Are you...

joking or just gullible?

[WriteDown]

11. Facepalm

C'mon, it's from the onion.

[Lagomorph]

13. OK, I feel better. nt

[Towlie]

6. Chinese citizens will have to wonder why the rest of the world can have Google and they can't.

[Hosnon]

8. Perhaps. But they mainly use Baidu. nt.

[Juche]

10. Because China hacked into them to get at human rights activists

Will the Chinese people on the ground know this? I don't know. But that is why and I hope they realize it.

[Zynx]

7. I'm waiting for a China apologist to come in here and say "What right do they have to do this?"

[maxsolomon]

15. SPLITTIST!

DALAI LIES!

i'm now out of china apologist talking points.

[Uncle Joe]

12. This sentence doesn't make sense to me.

"If Google does leave China, Microsoft could be hit harder by critics of its decision not to censor search results in China."

If Microsoft doesn't censor search results in China why are they being criticized?

My second and third question is if Microsoft has been censoring search results in China, have they truly been criticized and if not, why not?

Thanks for the thread, SecularMotion.

[SecularMotion]

14. That didn't make sense to me either.

"Google also said it was reconsidering its willingness to censor search results of users in China as required by the government."

According to this quote, censoring search results is required by the government.