Google accused of pandering to Chinese censors

[UpInArms]

http://www.money.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2004/09/27/cngoog27.xml&menuId=242&sSheet=/money/2004/09/27/ixfrontcity.html

Google, the internet business that made its mantra "do no evil", is accused of pandering to attempts by the Chinese government to censor certain websites.

The internet icon launched its news service in China recently, which many hoped would help the country move to a new era of openness. Yet early tests of the service reveal that Google blocks search results that would show internet pages banned by the authorities.

Dynamic Internet Technology, a firm that monitors online censorship, found search requests made from computers that are linked to the internet in China are heavily edited. Bill Xia, Dynamic's chief executive, said: "Users expect Google to return anything on the internet. That's what a search engine does."

Mr Xia believes that Google has chosen not to take on the Chinese government while it attempts to establish a presence in the country. "That's a problem because the Chinese people need to know there are alternative opinions from the Chinese government and there are many things being covered up," he said.

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