Google Enumerates Government Requests

D H NG writes "In the aftermath of Google's exit from mainland China, it had sought to be more open about what it censors. Google has launched a new tool to track the number of government requests targeted at Google and YouTube. These include both requests for data and requests to take down data. A quick look at the tool shows that Brazil is the top country in both categories (largely because Orkut is popular there), and information for China cannot be disclosed because 'Chinese officials consider censorship demands as state secrets.' As part of its four-part plan, Google hopes to change the behavior of repressive governments, establish guiding principles for dealing with issues of free expression, build support online to protest repression, and better provide resources and support for developing technology designed to combat and circumvent Internet censorship."

Comments

Go Canada!

[Monkeedude1212]

Now I have something else to distinguish myself from our brothers to the south besides a ridiculous accent and a distinct smell of maple syrup!

Re:Go Canada!

[Urban Garlic]

> I can drive for 3 hours in any given direction and not hit another city with a population over 2000

I used to have a car like that...

Re:Any second now.

[zill]

Cue the grammar nazis too while you're at it.

Re:Any second now.

[Animaether]

Given the error, queueing the grammar nazis might not be such a bad idea.

It's going to be a pretty good day

[blair1q]

One day, possibly not long from now, we're going to see China freed from the dictatorial, self-serving government Mao imposed on it.

That's going to be a pretty good day.

Re:Any second now.

[blackraven14250]

We also need to queue the definition nazis.

Re:Any second now.

[HeckRuler]

F that. This is a fantastically move by Google. Open minded and forward thinking, this is the direction that I want the world to go in.

Three Cheers!

HIP HIP...

Re:Wasn't Google going to pull out of China?

[znerk]

March 22, 2010: Google starts redirecting all traffic to their uncensored Google Hong Kong.

March 30, 2010: Mainland China blocks all Google service. The block only lasted a day.

Beijing used a lot of harsh words, but in the end Google and all their employee in PRC were not prosecuted and they continue to operate without censorship on Chinese soil. Google - 1, China - 0 so far.

I'd like to be all snarky and groupthink, and throw out a "[citation needed]", but in all honesty, I'd just like links to verify the information. Yeah, yeah, I could "just google it", but why should I go to all that effort, when I haven't even bothered to actually read the article?