Time Magazine Online
Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1156598,00.html
Article Summary:
In order to gain entry and claim stake on a recently untapped market Google decided to create a Chinese version of its website Google.com. The Chinese version, Google.cn, is heavily censored to comply with regulations set forth by the Communist Party. Chinese users still can access Google.com but face annoyingly slowly speeds and at times no access at all due to filtering of content. Currently the Internet in China is monitored by 30,000 Internet censors all day everyday blocking access to sites not conforming to approved opinions. As if censorship wasn't bad enough, when web surfers try to access a government site they are greeted with two cartoon figures to remind them that Internet cops are always watching.
“Jing jing” and “Chacha” (Jing Cha = Police).
Discussion Question: Can be Google considered unethical for censoring content displayed to Chinese consumers? What message does Google convay to other corporations by complying with Communist demands in order to gain entry to a market segment?
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Thats a tough one, but google really shouldnt have let money get the worst of them. Freedom led google to be what it is today, and if another country wants to change its ways, then they shouldnt be doing business
ReplyDeleteGoogle should have never conformed to a communist regime, but that goes to show that in the end money is power. Although the U.S. should not criticize google for taking the actions it has since we continue to send our companies over there for cheap labor.
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