Though no one seems to know how the Google vs. China saga will unfold, all signs indicate Google’s exit is imminent. That could be bad news for internet freedom efforts in the country, but great news for the other internet companies –much- less willing to come head to head with the authorities.
After months of debating – and grandstanding-, Google has come to a decision on how to move forward in China. When we signed on to Google from Beijing on Wednesday, the message beneath the US search bar –usually reserved for in-house advertisments like YouTube- was the following ‘learn about your First Amendment rights with 1 for all’. A coïncidence ? Hard to believe.
