Google and China

Google is one of the most popular and widely used internet search engines in the world. So it would be no surprise that such a big company would want to exist in the biggest and most populated country in the world. However, Google in China is not the same Google we know in the United States.
It is pretty well known throughout the world that China is a communist country that has strict laws on censorship and media, and frequently turns their heads on issues such as human rights and the environment. Just look at the 2008 summer olympics that took place in Beijing. Hardly any news programs were allowed to broad cast any sort of protests or backlash, and could never talk about issues of Tibet, which caused a lot of controversy. As did Google's decision to succumb to China's rules.
Because of China's strict censorship laws, Google made the choice to censor it's own search engine, so if you try to go to certain sites in China they cannot be accessed. These sites are typically sites that would not put China in a good light, the Tiananmen Square massacre will certaintly not come up in a search, but pictures of modern Tiananmen Square and information on tourism surely would. However, if Google had just pulled out and never moved it's servers to Chinese territoy, Chinese citizens would be at a loss by not being able to access information, even if some of it is censored. As Sergey Brin described, going into China, "wasn't as much a business decision as a decision about getting people information. And we decided in the end that we should make this compromise."
As people have pointed out, Google's decision is hypocritical in that their slogan is "Don't be Evil," but they are conspiring with China's censors. Google was working with the situation they had, and since China's policies are not changing anytime soon, they gave Chinese citizens something to work with.
With all the fear and anxiety that exists for the C.E.O's, bloggers, and journalists should they "cross the line" and not comply to "self discipline," it is hard to imagine a future of free speech and democracy for the Country of China. But one hopeful note that I found in the article was that it is actually slowly happening, the young generation of China is blogging and chatting online, public speech is a norm for them. And the Chinese people have taking a liking to democracy as evident in the "Super Girl" competition televised throughtout China, where people could vote and promote their favorite candidates, the article even compared it to a presidential election campaign.
Growing up and living in the United States, it is hard to imagine what it is like not being able to speak one's mind, or protest an issue that was important to me. It's very hopeful that the internet can go beyond it's technological capabilities, and not just socially connect people, but allow people to speak their minds where in a situation without the internet, they could not.