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Google CEO Tells Senators That Censored Chinese Search Engine Could Provide 'Broad Benefits' (theintercept.com)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has refused to answer a list of questions from U.S. lawmakers about the company's secretive plan for a censored search engine in China. From a report: In a letter newly obtained by The Intercept, Pichai told a bipartisan group of six senators that Google could have "broad benefits inside and outside of China," but said he could not share details about the censored search engine because it "remains unclear" whether the company "would or could release a search service" in the country. Pichai's letter contradicts the company's search engine chief, Ben Gomes, who informed staff during a private meeting that the company was aiming to release the platform in China between January and April 2019. Gomes told employees working on the Chinese search engine that they should get it ready to be "brought off the shelf and quickly deployed."
[...] In his letter to the senators, dated August 31, Pichai did not mention the word "censorship" or address human rights concerns. He told the senators that "providing access to information to people around the world is central to our mission," and said he believed Google's tools could "help to facilitate an exchange of information and learning." The company was committed to "promoting access to information, freedom of expression, and user privacy," he wrote, while also "respecting the laws of jurisdictions in which we operate."
[...] In his letter to the senators, dated August 31, Pichai did not mention the word "censorship" or address human rights concerns. He told the senators that "providing access to information to people around the world is central to our mission," and said he believed Google's tools could "help to facilitate an exchange of information and learning." The company was committed to "promoting access to information, freedom of expression, and user privacy," he wrote, while also "respecting the laws of jurisdictions in which we operate."
They've forgotten the 'Don't'.
What's the matter with Page and Brin? Do they worship Mammon that devotedly? Don't they care that Google (Alphabet) is rapidly becoming one of the most hated companies ever? Don't they care about reaching the levels of despicability of Microsoft and Apple?
What's your new motto - Be as Obnoxious as Possible?
I wouldn't be so quick to jump to that conclusion. Wouldn't getting more useful results for the 99.99% of non-censored web searches provide broad benefits to the Chinese people even if that .01% remains censored?
For that matter, given that every company is likely to implement censorship differently, wouldn't having more search engines (even censored ones) slowly erode the effectiveness of censorship by letting different things leak through?
Food for thought. This isn't an easy issue, and it isn't black-and-white. Anybody who tries to paint it that way is likely trying to gather votes.
Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.