As expected, the Internet search engine giant, Google on Tuesday announced its decision to stop censoring search results on its sites in China charging that Beijing is limiting free speech on the Internet.
"Earlier today, we stopped censoring our search services Google Search, Google News, and Google Imageson Google.cn," Google said in a blog posting on Monday.
"Users visiting Google.cn are now being redirected to Google.com.hk, where we are offering uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via our servers in Hong Kong," wrote David Drummond, Google Chief Legal Officer in his blog posting.
Users in Hong Kong will continue to receive their existing uncensored, traditional Chinese service, also from Google.com.hk.
Google said it wants as many people in the world as possible to have access to its services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout their discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement.
"We believe this new approach of providing uncensored search in simplified Chinese from Google.com.hk is a sensible solution to the challenges we've facedit's entirely legal and will meaningfully increase access to information for people in China," Google said.
"This move is entirely legal by Chinese law and Hong Kong law, and that is important to know: that we are abiding by the law," a source at Google was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.
On its blog, Google also clarified that all these decisions have been driven and implemented by our executives in the United States, and that none of its employees in China can, or should, be held responsible for them.
"Despite all the uncertainty and difficulties they have faced since we made our announcement in January, they have continued to focus on serving our Chinese users and customers," it said. Google hoped that the Chinese government respects its decision, though, it said, it is well aware that it could at any time block access to its services.
"We will therefore be carefully monitoring access issues, and have created this new web page, which we will update regularly each day, so that everyone can see which Google services are available in China," it said.
The Washington Post said on Tuesday morning in Beijing, China had started blocking results for sensitive searches on Google's Hong Kong-based site, Google.com.hk.
"Searches for sensitive subjects such as the banned spiritual sect Falun Gong or Tiananmen 64 -- shorthand for the June 4, 1989, crackdown on student-led protests in Beijing -- produced a blank screen or an error message. Earlier in the morning, results were generated but the links were blocked," it said.
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