Google - Don't be evil?

Has anyone else noticed the two major Google headlines this week, and how they show Googles true intentions?

1. Google refuses to hand over search query results to the US Government, with Yahoo and MSN already accepting the request, I thought Google had some balls for sticking up to them.

2. Google.cn is launched, but it's filtered to the extent that the Communist government is happy with. This means that controversial issues are brushed under the carpet, ie. jokes, gay issues, beer and dating. Most shockingly, Google alter history by filtering results relating to the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

All this from a company who has the motto 'Don't be evil' and are supposedly constantly improving the way we access information. How come Google think it's ok to deny the US Government of its request, but will censor out the internet to comply with the demands of China?

Obviously it's all about money, and goodluck to Google, but I think they've sold out by aiding the Chinese Communist Government. This isn't about providing China with an extremely powerful search engine, it's about making money from the Chinese people - which wasn't what Google originally stood for when it was founded.

To read this up in more detail:
http://news.com.com/What+Google+censors+in+China/2100-1030_3-6031727.html

 

You can never be 100% good.
You will always have to sink down to evil levels, so that you can maintain relative goodness. That is my opinion. The only person who ever defied this was Ghandi, who actually was never evil. But most of the time, being 100% good means people walk all over you...and then you can't spread good any more can you?

Cant believe I just said that, I dont actually like Google that much, and here I am protecting them...

 

Well, I love Google (Google SE, Gmail, Google Earth...) and I still do, I think they're a much cooler company than most as they tend to not be fueled by money like 99.5% of companies. They tend to word things as though they're normal people, and tend to 'keep it real' Microsoft Hotmail asked for money to upgrade, Google gave us a better inbox, better functions and more space for free - how can I argue with that?

I just think Google are forgetting that they're for the people, not the Governments. I can't understand how they're helping the people by filtering out results and technically altering history for over 1bn people?

 

Lets think about it this way, whats better...being a search engine in a 100m market with filtered results, or nothing at all?
And even if we ignore profit, id still choose the first...

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mh?s=GOOG

 

http://www.google.cn/search?hl=zh-CN&q=Tiananmen+Square+Massacre&btnG=搜索&meta=

 

Results 1 - 10 of about 286,000 for Tiananmen Square Massacre. (0.04 seconds)

约有148,000项符合Tiananmen Square Massacre的查询结果，以下是第1-10项。 （搜索用时 0.12 秒）

(Hmm, less results, but it takes 3 times longer? Would that be the filter or something?)

Anyway, I'd rather have no SE than a SE with only stuff my government wants me to see. I understand that Google must comply to certain laws, but I think Google.cn is a step too far.

Company Overview

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Does anyone else think Google.cn simply doesn't make information universally accessible?

 

I have to agree with Digitalpoint.

Google isn't doing anything evil. It's doing what it is supposed to.

Skinny

 

Google jumped the shark when they went public. Now they work for the shareholders and they always have to put profit infront of any and everything else. They will never be the google they were before going public, its just not going to happen.

 

It is just naive to think a company is there for the people. Google is not evil they are victims to the communist govt of China. With or without google, this kind of info won't be available to the chinese so better have google filtered then nothing. Chinese people look for more then the Tiananmen massacre. Here in the US they are taking advantage of the laws, just natural.

 

This was once the case with Google. They were originally setup without the intentions of really cashing in from internet searches. I also think Google is there for the people, for example, those man powered laptop things they're making for children in the 3rd world. I don't think that's really 100% for PR, I think it's Google genuinely helping people. Whereas Microsoft would probably just give them discounts on their software

Another example would be the US incident, although I admire Google for not handing over what the US government wanted, I don't think they really did it for the PR. The US Government insist it's to counter child porn and terrorists, so Google don't come out of it looking like angels. I do believe that this is for the people, by not giving into the demands.

But this China thing baffles me. If I make my own country and set the rules that women are to be treated as second class citizens, would Google then adapt to my laws by making sure influential women don't appear in the results? What if I had a potential market of 1bn people? You may think that that's too extreme, but as the news article posted originally states, homosexuality is filtered from the search results. So it's ok for Google to filter out sites based upon sexual preference, because Google agree with China that homosexuality is wrong? If I was a homosexual Google employee, I'd be pretty pissed to say the least that the company I work for is 'enforcing' this. Even if Google don't agree with it, they're enforcing it and turning a blind eye, which I think is wrong.

 

Maybe they shouldn't have chosen such a slogan in the first place. Mankind is fallible. Do they, or anyone here really believe they haven't or wont make mistakes, or do the wrong thing?

 

You think they put their phd's on hold to help people and just help people? they knew they will make a lot of money from google. I am not blaming them they are my idols. If google won't accept the restriction of china then there wont' be google.cn, who lost here? the chinese people!!

 

I am totally on Google side on this topic

 

What exactly would they lose? The Chinese people still won't be getting any info the Chinese govt. doesn't want them to have, so what's the difference if there's a Chinese Google or not?

 

You know, of the two governments involved in this story, I am actually more nervous about the position of the US one. At least China is making a limited and clearly-defined request to Google et al, knowing it can't go too far or it will scare off foreign investors. The US govt on the other hand is on a total fishing expedition with no clearly stated aim or purpose, and using the bludgeon of "if you don't do what we want, we will take you to court, accuse you of endangering national security and label you as un-American". Google gives in to the US Gov now, and what will they ask for (and expect to get) next? Google is right to challenge them because their demands seem to be legally dubious. If they were legally right, then Google would have to comply - and all of you living in the US would have to think seriously about the kind of people that are getting elected and what you should do about it.

 

Google was the last search engine to sign agreement with Communist government in China. Yahoo, has done this some time ago. Well, we need to start somewhere.

 

Yes obviously blocking freedom of information and free speech (you're arrested for having a bible on your person BTW) is way better than the government asking for search engine searches and search engine results. Not even asking for IPs , just common search terms vs results.

They want to know if a lot of people typing in "jessica Simpson" which might be 40-60% teen traffic is pulling up porn sites.

China wants to know if you type in "freedom" so they can reeducate you and your family.

We should all move to China, you're absolutely right. Crazy oppressive US Govt.