Citing government censoring of search results and because of hacking attacks of human rights activists who use its free Gmail service., on-line giant Google says it may pull out of China.
The statement came earlier this week and could have a ripple effect for all corporations with China divisions. Google is the first to publicly protest censorship or openly complain about cyberattacks, which are part of doing business in China, says Alan Paller, managing director of the SANS Institute, a security think tank.
Paller says Google appears to be sincerely championing human rights.
Danny Sullivan, editor of the Search Engine Land blog, says Google may lead the way for other businesses to negotiate less-draconion government censorship.
Google issued a statement noting that it was among some 20 companies attacked by the China-based hackers. The hackers tried to access the Gmail e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists but only managed to access two unidentified accounts.
Though cyberattacks and government censorship are separate matters, Google blended them in one sentence: “These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered — combined with attempts over the past year to limit free speech on the Web — have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China.”
The Chinese government did not immediately respond.
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