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"Morally, of course its wrong, but what's the alternative over the long term?" To not do it. Google has plenty of fucking money; they don't need all the money.

"Morally, of course its wrong, but what's the alternative over the long term?" To not do it. Google has plenty of fucking money; they don't need all the money. "They would cede the market to a more accommodating competitor (e.g. Baidu), who would then have a strategic advantage." In China. There are plenty of other people in the world, and most of those people do not want a search engine where the results are chosen by a totalitarian government. This idea that Google "has to" do this, and that there can be only one winner of anything, ever, is terrible, and I believe is directly responsible for most of the ills of our day.

headmelted 8y ago
While I agree with you in principle, turn the theory on its head. If Google (and Bing, just as an example of a less popular rival) were principled enough to say "you know what? No. We're not censoring." (as has been Google's policy until now) would Western governments meet them halfway and take a stand against rivals that were doing it elsewhere? I believe that's what it would take to level the playing field (and I admit I could be naive here), but the suggestion itself is preposterous. No western government is ever going to place what would amount to an embargo on a search engine over them censoring results in another country. I hear what people are saying about user's will vote with their feet (or hands as it were), and that Google is safe with their already dominant position, but I don't think history supports that view. I also don't think the average user cares that much if someone else is getting censored thousands of miles away. Maybe I'm cynical, but people at large just don't care about this stuff, and I say this as someone who cares deeply about it. (How many people outside of tech remember Edward Snowden? I'm sure they'll recall the name but I'd be surprised if you'd hear more than "was that the Russian spy guy?") I really hope Google won't submit to censoring in China, I just think it's likely they will. And it sucks. And it sucks more that I believe it'll happen.

headmelted 8y ago

While I agree with you in principle, turn the theory on its head. If Google (and Bing, just as an example of a less popular rival) were principled enough to say "you know what? No. We're not censoring." (as has been Google's policy until now) would Western governments meet them halfway and take a stand against rivals that were doing it elsewhere? I believe that's what it would take to level the playing field (and I admit I could be naive here), but the suggestion itself is preposterous. No western government is ever going to place what would amount to an embargo on a search engine over them censoring results in another country. I hear what people are saying about user's will vote with their feet (or hands as it were), and that Google is safe with their already dominant position, but I don't think history supports that view. I also don't think the average user cares that much if someone else is getting censored thousands of miles away. Maybe I'm cynical, but people at large just don't care about this stuff, and I say this as someone who cares deeply about it. (How many people outside of tech remember Edward Snowden? I'm sure they'll recall the name but I'd be surprised if you'd hear more than "was that the Russian spy guy?") I really hope Google won't submit to censoring in China, I just think it's likely they will. And it sucks. And it sucks more that I believe it'll happen.