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

theintercept.com

21–30 of 436 posts

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

#21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is definitely worse to have a startup phase with the motto "don't be evil" and then later remove it once they've got everyone's data.

Please do not spread misinformation. They never changed their motto. https://abc.xyz/investor/other/google-code-of-conduct.html

they moved it down or reworded it or something

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/ne...

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

#22

Why should there be a different standard for Google and other tech companies to not expand into China. If we have a problem with how their government works policy should be applied that prevents/manages how businesses subject to our laws operate abroad. The majority of people don't really care how corporations behave. If they did Google search/gmail/maps would not be so popular. They have the right price point(0$) fo…

>Why should there be a different standard for Google and other tech companies to not expand into China.

This exactly.

I would even make a stronger case. It's not fair to expect a technology company to fight a major world economic power. This is a failure of US and EU governments. They should pressure China to liberalize their government and provide a level economic playing field (it is insane what China gets away with with respect to the roadblocks it places on Western companies to do business there).

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

#23

Why should there be a different standard for Google and other tech companies to not expand into China. If we have a problem with how their government works policy should be applied that prevents/manages how businesses subject to our laws operate abroad. The majority of people don't really care how corporations behave. If they did Google search/gmail/maps would not be so popular. They have the right price point(0$) fo…

Are you just asking why anyone should have any ethical standards at all?

Presumably even you think there is some line a tech company shouldn't cross, right?

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

#24

Too late... They will never overtake Baidu, who have leaks of Googles algorithm, more data to train AI on, government support, an existing (better) product in asian languages, and a massive userbase.

I'm sure they'll be able to overtake Baidu. Baidu's search product is terrible. The results are almost always unusable. The only times I find them useful is when it links to a quora-equivalent website where someone has asked your exact query.

The results are almost always unusable.

Possibly because of the censorship? If so, Google isn't going to be much better.

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

#25

Why should there be a different standard for Google and other tech companies to not expand into China. If we have a problem with how their government works policy should be applied that prevents/manages how businesses subject to our laws operate abroad. The majority of people don't really care how corporations behave. If they did Google search/gmail/maps would not be so popular. They have the right price point(0$) fo…

>Why should there be a different standard for Google and other tech companies to not expand into China. This exactly. I would even make a stronger case. It's not fair to expect a technology company to fight a major world economic power. This is a failure of US and EU governments. They should pressure China to liberalize their government and provide a level economic playing field (it is insane what China gets away wit…

Neither US or EU are the world police. They have no rights and should not have any to pressure any country to push their own idea of how things should work in another country, just like how China and others don't demand such and even if they do that doesn't make it less wrong.

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

#26
There are a couple of recurring themes here:

1. the hyper-moralising over google's business decisions, they're not the only company that modifies its business to access the chinese market nor is the chinese government the only one that demands censorship.

2. google employees' attempts to sabotage the company's business prospects.

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

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure they'll be able to overtake Baidu. Baidu's search product is terrible. The results are almost always unusable. The only times I find them useful is when it links to a quora-equivalent website where someone has asked your exact query.

However good or bad the product is, I would be very surprised if the Chinese government would allow Google to win significant market share against domestic companies. They might want Google in China for leverage, but they certainly wouldn't want them to be dominant.

My immediate reaction was "how can the CCP possibly cripple Google so much that Baidu can compete?". Anyone who's lived in China will have passionate views on how terrible Baidu's product is.

If there is any eastward leakage of Google's code, it's certainly not obvious in day-to-day usage of Baidu's search engine.

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

#29
post #8

Too late... They will never overtake Baidu, who have leaks of Googles algorithm, more data to train AI on, government support, an existing (better) product in asian languages, and a massive userbase.

> who have leaks of Googles algorithm Sounds plausible, got any sources on that?

If they had leaks of Google's algorithm, they'd likely have a much more usable product...

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

#30

Why should there be a different standard for Google and other tech companies to not expand into China. If we have a problem with how their government works policy should be applied that prevents/manages how businesses subject to our laws operate abroad. The majority of people don't really care how corporations behave. If they did Google search/gmail/maps would not be so popular. They have the right price point(0$) fo…

eh.... I think I agree in principle with you, BUT something doesn't sit quite right. I'm currently in China (hence the throwaway account) and I think any level of collaboration with their government on restricting access to free information for the Chinese people should ABSOLUTELY BE CHALLENGED. Not doing so prolongs their government's ability to not reform vs getting caught in middle-income trap from lack of 0 to 1 innovation.
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