Google stops self-censorship in China - authorities continue to censor
Google has stopped self-censoring in China. Visitors to Google China are redirected to Hong Kong, where the internet giant was already providing uncensored content in simplified Chinese. However, search functionality remains restricted. Chinese authorities appear to be continuing Google’s self-censorship.
We are aware that China could block access at any time, writes Google's legal counsel David Drummond in the company blog. This is exactly what happened. Certain search terms are already blocked by the Chinese firewall, according to Netzwoche.ch. For this reason, an information page has been set up to show the availability of individual services. The Chinese authorities sharply criticized Google's decision, as reported by the NZZ. According to a report by the official Xinhua news agency, an official from the Internet authority said that Google's decision to stop filtering search results violates written commitments that the company made when it entered the Chinese market. Google had announced on January 12 that it would no longer bow to the Chinese authorities' censorship requirements for Internet searches.
