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Google Admits China Censorship Was Damaging
pilsner.urquell writes to let us know about a wide-ranging interview with Google's founders from Davos, Switzerland. Larry Page and Sergey Brin admitted that allowing China to censor its search engine did harm to the company in its Western markets. Quoting the Guardian article: "Asked whether he regretted the decision, Mr. Brin admitted yesterday: 'On a business level, that decision to censor... was a net negative.'" The reporter concludes that Google is unlikely to revise its Chinese censorship policy any time soon.
Using this kind of logic, you'd do business with any one. Sure, NK has nukes and is helping Iran get them, but if we don't allow them censorship abilities, we can't do biz. Right. What a PR sham. OoE
doesnt working with the chinese government in this way provide google with unique and valuable insight into how they function regarding freedom of information?
But I titled it "Sergey Brin turns into a corporate douchebag." "On a business level, that decision to censor... was a net negative." I think I speak for a lot of people here when I say, wtf is that shit? I can think of a few more, say, pressing reasons why abetting the oppressive regime in China is fucked than the good ol' bottom line. Don't be evil my ass.
Sigh. Sergey, we barely knew ye.
I think there is a world market for maybe five personal web logs.
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I don't agree with the nukes comparison either, but don't brush off the impact of censorship, a form of information control. It's not as simple as giving them access to information they wouldn't otherwise have; it's what they don't see. Consider, for example, if Google in the United States was disallowed from returning results that so much as acknowledge the existence of the Democratic Party or its principles. Do you think a citizen of this hypothetical USA should be thankful to get whatever information Google does provide?
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If you are not bothered by censorship that is fine, just admit it. What would bother you enough to stop doing business with a company? Would you do business with a company that owned slaves in other countries where it is legal? Some draw the line at censorship, you don't. I hope you can see that people may reasonably differ in their opinion on such a topic.