Crouching Google, Hidden Porn

How’s a modern search engine supposed to grow market share if it can’t rely on serving up internet pornography? </sarcasm>

Well, Google’s going to have to take on China’s leading search engine Baidu, without the help of those that use the search engine to locate naked flesh. According to AP, China’s main watchdog, the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center, is unhappy that Google is not adequately conforming to its pornography ban.

The watchdog said that despite official warnings, Google was still failing to “filter pornographic contents from its search engine results according to China’s relevant laws and regulations.” It said tests found that the search engine provided links to a large number of lewd and vulgar pictures, videos and articles, though it gave no specific examples.

Google gives its typical “we’re working on it” response. “We have been continually working to deal with pornographic content, and material that is harmful to children, on the Web in China,” a statement from the company said.

I’m pretty sure that Google’s level of effort is linked to the amount of growth it sees in its market share in China. In other words, all the while Google plays second fiddle to Baidu, I wouldn’t expect it to go “all out” to do much of anything in China.

(photo credit)