Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

theintercept.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 436 posts

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

#81

Post by manigandham »

nailer wrote: post #76
manigandham wrote: post #67

Why do the 1.4 billion people living there put up with it in the first place? Why they have just made Jinping a lifetime president? Why are they fine with their own Chinese tech companies doing this already? It would help to understand the geopolitical causes of this environment instead of the constant faux outrage over Google doing what any business does, which is provide services in accordance to the laws where the…

> Why do the 1.4 billion people living there put up with it in the first place? I have a close friend who's a member of the communist party, but we speak about these things frankly. This is my own opinion after talking with them 0. There was an uprising in 1989, and the people who protested were mown down with machineguns 1. The generation afterwards are conditioned to tie the communist party with China's new prosper…

I've seen these same sentiments expressed by many in and from China. They enjoy what they have and do not have the same interest in democratic practice as the West, for better or worse.

That's why I question what the outrage is all about, when the very people living there have already made their choice.

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

#82

Post by manigandham »

mozey wrote: post #78
manigandham wrote: post #67

Why do the 1.4 billion people living there put up with it in the first place? Why they have just made Jinping a lifetime president? Why are they fine with their own Chinese tech companies doing this already? It would help to understand the geopolitical causes of this environment instead of the constant faux outrage over Google doing what any business does, which is provide services in accordance to the laws where the…

What is the difference between censorship and management of spam, fake news, sock puppet accounts etc?

Isn't there a big difference? It's removing fake junk vs hiding truthful information.

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

#83

Post by StreamBright »

macspoofing wrote: post #22
mywacaday wrote: post #20

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…

And why should they do that?

What was the last time Western interventionism brought any good for the world? Who are the US and EU representing to tell other countries how to live their lives??

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

#84

Post by neom »

manigandham wrote: post #67

Why do the 1.4 billion people living there put up with it in the first place? Why they have just made Jinping a lifetime president? Why are they fine with their own Chinese tech companies doing this already? It would help to understand the geopolitical causes of this environment instead of the constant faux outrage over Google doing what any business does, which is provide services in accordance to the laws where the…

China is emerging a country with a massive amount of people, while providing relative increase in standard of living and creating opportunity for large swaths of people. China has had a large uneducated population for a long time. They are doing it using a system that has often been shunned or ostracized. Western nations have historically done everything in their power, directly and indirectly to subvert alternative systems taking root. To me China makes sense: Keep the people focused. Create a modern resilient communist social structure that will stand globalization. As much as possible, keep the west and western influences out during incubation.

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

#85

Post by astronautjones »

mywacaday wrote: post #20

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. 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.

they set that standard for themselves...

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

#86

Post by throw2016 »

People who are neck deep in the surveillance economy and have long sold out can't suddenly pretend to care about ethics without looking insincere.

Given the large majority seem to have no problem with Google, Facebook and others, and their ability to attract employees is unaffected it's obvious ethics is not a high priority for current or prospective employees, if anything the fawning is often cringy.

That also explains why inspite of Snowden's revelations no one really cares and there is no change. So there is little basis for ethical concern about China, unless the motive is purely posturing and grandstanding.

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

#87

Post by orbital-decay »

quirkot wrote: post #68

Small reminder that companies must submit all source code for review if they do business in China

And?.. Many companies "submit" all their source code to anyone interested, regardless of doing business in China. Just saying. Among closed-source ones, Microsoft and many others have decades-long history of submitting the code for governments to review. Does it really matter for anything?

Or you mean even the code which doesn't leave company servers? Do you have a source then, because I'd have a hard time believing that.

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

#88

Post by nailer »

manigandham wrote: post #81
nailer wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why do the 1.4 billion people living there put up with it in the first place? I have a close friend who's a member of the communist party, but we speak about these things frankly. This is my own opinion after talking with them 0. There was an uprising in 1989, and the people who protested were mown down with machineguns 1. The generation afterwards are conditioned to tie the communist party with China's new prosper…

I've seen these same sentiments expressed by many in and from China. They enjoy what they have and do not have the same interest in democratic practice as the West, for better or worse. That's why I question what the outrage is all about, when the very people living there have already made their choice.

Because people living in PRC are people and deserve the right to govern themselves.

Hell, the principle that the people are the rightful rulers is part of the PRC's name.

The people living there include those on May 35th that died for the freedom to choose who they vote for, as well as those in Hong Kong who are still frequently kidnapped.

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

#89

Post by afroboy »

quirkot wrote: post #68

Small reminder that companies must submit all source code for review if they do business in China

That seems not believable at all i'd like to see source for that, i find hard to believe Apple, Oracle and such companies that are very protective for their code to submitted to one of most copy past countries in the world.

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

#90

Post by crunchlibrarian »

babsHeinz wrote: post #27

Because Google's search engine isn't censored in the rest of its locations?

Yeah it's strange how nobody talks about the fact that google search is getting less and less relevant and more and more filled with garbage every year. It's downright terrible, I have to go to social media or search with lots of domain operators (if I can remember them) to actually find what I'm looking for.

I'm sure google's "analytics" say they are doing great and results are more relevant and engaging for them and their corporate partners than ever, but I am often walking away from a search not finding what I know still exists on the web. They are just a massive media conglomerate trying to promote other massive media orgs and their content, content that doesn't live in that bubble is increasingly out of bounds.

Post reply on HN