Google denies license problem in China

Search giant rejects Chinese newspaper reports that it does not have correct license to operate in that country.

The story "Google denies license problem in China" published February 21, 2006 at 5:00 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[Jim Hubbard]

When you deal with the devil......

Well now..... Google sells out democracy and the Chinese people for a few yuan. Google violated thier mission statement of "Don't be evil."

And, now, Google finds that the devil does not honor his followers.

Did anybody see this coming.....other than me?

[someguy389]

Oh, come off it already.

The western world deals with China in a million ways everyday. Did you and I and the rest of the West "deal with the devil" because a huge chunk of our possessions have manufacturing ties to China? Isn't contributing to that economy providing strength and validation to an oppressive regime?

It isn't the responsibility of individual businesses to fight Chinese domestic policy by defying local law. Western governments support trade with China. Sure, the US has seen a recent rise in congressional furor over the issue, but that BS is political showboating by politicians wishing to look like purveyors of democracy to a public that doesn't wish to or isn't capable of really considering the complex economic, social, and political issues involved. This stuff goes on for any company wishing to do business there and in general our government supports it, which isnt necessarily wrong. There is a pretty convincing argument that being involved in trade with China furthers the goal liberalization of that nations social policies. Isolation does nothing to inform and enlighten its people.

[westrajc]

"Lack of License" A Veiled Threat By Bejing

The latest "concern," expressed by China's Ministry of Information Industry, is nothing less than a veiled threat against Google. China is in effect saying:

""If you don't help us censor Internet free speech and expose those who speak against us, we will punish you by not allowing you to do business in China.""

Google and other companies wishing to do business in China are caught between a rock and a hard place. The US Congress is in a mood to sanction companies that cooperate with censors and China is obviously hinting it will shut the door on any company that won't cooperate with censorship.

Until the Chinese "Berlin Wall" of censorship and oppression is torn down, companies seeking to cross the Chinese border risk punishment or even death. This will come as no surprise to millions of Chinese, who have been forced to live, suffer and die at the hands of this repressive Communist regime since 1949!

[lingsun]

Companies profited by dealing with Nazi Germany

Companies profited by dealing with Nazi Germany too. Communist China is responsible for more deaths than Hitler and Stalin combined. No one should be so greedy that they help oppress a billion people.

[Jim Hubbard]

Amen!

I second that!

[lingsun]

Google helps oppress a billion people

Google helps oppress a billion people. Google says "Don't be evil". Just another example of the extreme hypocrisy of the left.

[dland51]

left

I've been wondering when someone would find the need to blame this on the left! That is a cop out if I ever heard one! Bush Jr. and Sr. have sucked up to China since Sr. was over there, so this crap should spread pretty evenly on both sides of that fence! Simple, if you don't want to support the economy of China, don't buy the stuff they make! One at a time will eventually do the job, if that is what you think the answer is, personnally I say assimilate the heck out of them, they'll reach the point where their policies are irrelevant(sp)!

[davidj7738]

Google Opress?

How does offering a web search service in a country help 'oppress' the people? It will just be a purposefully incomplete search response.

Having NO presence at all in this country would be an even worse scenario.

Add to this that any internet savvy person can go to google.ca instead of google.cn

[lingsun]

Google works with Chinese gov't but not US gov't

What a bunch of hypocrites! They help the Chicoms oppress their people but they won't help the U.S. government crack down on child porn.

[cathleen_44]

New Anti-Censorship Solution for Chinese citizens

Anonymizer, a San Diego based company, is prepared to offer an anti-censorship solution to Chinese citizens that will allow them to surf the internet anonymously. This solution will be available at quarter's end and, most importantly, Anonymizer will offering it for free!

Anonymizer's President and CEO (Lance Cottrel and Bill Unrue) are outraged at the way companies like Google and Yahoo are selling out to countries like China, sacrificing human rights for financial gain. The protection of basic liberties needs strong support, and Anonymizer has been providing an answer to this for more than a decade.

Cottrel is a national champion of privacy rights and Anonymizer has a record of similar human rights projects, actively employing its technology at its own expense to protect people in oppressed nations-for example, those who would report human rights abuses or war crimes. The technology also enables the messages of freedom and democracy be spread where governments would block such information.