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Ex-Google Employee Warns of 'Disturbing' China Plans (bbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the tussle-continues dept.

A former Google employee has warned of the firm's "disturbing" plans in China, in a letter to US lawmakers. BBC: Jack Poulson, who had been a senior researcher at the company until resigning in August, wrote that he was fearful of Google's ambitions. His letter alleges Google's work on a Chinese product -- codenamed Dragonfly -- would aid Beijing's efforts to censor and monitor its citizens online. Google has said its work in China to date has been "exploratory." Ben Gomes, Google's head of search, told the BBC earlier this week: "Right now all we've done is some exploration, but since we don't have any plans to launch something there's nothing much I can say about it."

A report by news site The Intercept last week alleged Google had demanded employees delete an internal memo that discussed the plans. Google has not commented on the staff row, but said: "We've been investing for many years to help Chinese users, from developing Android, through mobile apps such as Google Translate and Files Go, and our developer tools." It added: "We are not close to launching a search product in China." Mr Poulson's letter details several aspects of Google's work that had been reported in the press but never officially confirmed by the company. It was submitted to the Senate Commerce Committee, which held a hearing on Wednesday in Washington DC. Google's chief privacy officer, Keith Enright, faced questions from Senator Ted Cruz about the company's intentions to launch a new search engine in China. He confirmed the existence of the project.

9 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Be Evil by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's not advertised in America, but what makes you think they're not already doing it in America?

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    Your ad here. Ask me how!
  2. The Left is being Played by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Google strokes the Left with platitudes about diversity, equality, and hate speech with one hand and with the other are building an information infrastructure that amounts to a totalitarian control application.

    When like minded individuals are elected in the US, they will have a ready platform available to squelch speech and control the distribution of news, all in an unofficial manner and evade constitutional issues.

    1. Re:The Left is being Played by cunina · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That's not a contradiction at all, since these days the Left is totalitarian in nature.

    2. Re:The Left is being Played by sarren1901 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Totalitarian or authoritarian is neither left or right. Both Fascist and Communist can be and typically are totalitarian.

    3. Re:The Left is being Played by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Google strokes the Left with platitudes about diversity, equality, and hate speech with one hand

      But they are fighting hate speech...as it's defined in China.

      One day the definition could change here too. That's why you might want to think twice before setting the precedent that banning "hate speech" is a good thing.
       

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      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    4. Re:The Left is being Played by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Who was even talking about Fox News? Where'd that come from? You just invent a strawman so you could knock it down?

      You've got to admit, the liberal left are few and far between these days. People like Johnathan Haidt or Jordan Peterson are banished into the dark web. The authoritarian left is ascendant. One need only look at our universities to see what they desire for the rest of society. Dismantling fundamental rights like being informed of the charges against you or the ability to confront your accuser. The right didn't do any of that shit.

      By their deeds ye shall know them. it's the so-called "tolerant" leftists that engage in censorship, whether it's overt censorship through the deletion of content and banning of users/customers, or whether it's causing indirect self-censorship through threats of harm to the reputations or bodies of anyone they disagree with.

      It isn't right wingers who want to limit what people can express thanks to "political correctness". It isn't right wingers who want to block content they dislike. It isn't right wingers who want to ban users who they disagree with. It's leftists who engage in such behavior.

      The political right promotes free and open discussion of all ideas. The political left tries to shut down all expression that doesn't conform to their very narrow world view and narrative.

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      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  3. Re:Repeated bad behavior.... by CanHasDIY · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I would argue that acting unethically is rarely a mistake - Google execs know exactly what they're doing.

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    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  4. Re: Be Evil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    But you will find nothing Google doesn't like on Google.

  5. Re:Do any of these people by BlueStrat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's called a Confidential Information and Invention Assignment (CIIA) Agreement. And yes him talking about this is a violation of it.

    In this case the point is moot.

    Google won't press this issue against him in court.

    They'd open themselves to pre-trial discovery.

    The very last thing Google wants is more investigation, publicity, and press around this topic.

    Strat

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    Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.