Marketing Pilgrim

Google is launching new versions of its search and news sites for China. The new versions will be heavily censored in line with Chinese laws and regulations.

“Google.cn will comply with local Chinese laws and regulations,” he said in a statement. “In deciding how best to approach the Chinese–or any–market, we must balance our commitments to satisfy the interest of users, expand access to information, and respond to local conditions.”

Reporters Without Borders is not happy with the move…

“By offering a version without ’subversive’ content, Google is making it easier for Chinese officials to filter the Internet themselves. A Web site not listed by search engines has little chance of being found by users,” the group said in a statement. “The new Google version means that even if a human rights publication is not blocked by local firewalls, it has no chance of being read in China.”

It’s somewhat ironic that Google will accommodate the Chinese government, yet sticks-it to the US government. And how much longer can their mission statement hold-up…

“Google’s mission is to organize monetize some of the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful especially if we can make money from it.” Oh boy, I’m gonna lose PageRank for that one.

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