In a strategic about face, the world's biggest Internet company has just taken a stand in favor or human rights, risking its business in the biggest Internet market in the world.
Last week Google was subjected to "sophisticated" attacks targeting Google's corporate infrastructure, attacks which originated in China. Further investigation revealed twenty other companies were also targeted, and that the attacks were intended to glean information from Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Then Google discovered that dozens of other human rights activist's email accounts have been accessed by third parties in unrelated activity.
Google's response? They're not playing China's game anymore. Google has decided to no longer filter search results on Google.cn, a controversial move that was required to launch a local domain. Though Google says it is working with the government to determine how to keep an unfiltered version of .cn up, it's had to believe it won't get shut down. Furthermore, the move risks having to close down its 700 person Chinese operations. Check out
Google's blog for the full story from SVP David Drummond.
This is the move Google was heavily criticized for not making in 2006 when it entered the Chinese market. How will China respond? Stay tuned. I know I will.
