Campbell: Google finds a loophole

After a long and public dispute with China over censorship, it looks like Google has found a… After a long and public dispute with China over censorship, it looks like Google has found a loophole.

To recap, Google responded to a recent hacking attack on its servers in China by threatening to abandon its Chinese business interests unless the Chinese government allowed Google to stop all censorship of its search results.

The Chinese government remained firm and insisted that all technology companies in China must abide by existing “self-censorship” laws — specifically, Google.cn would need to filter sensitive topics from its search results.

After all of this transpired, Google was put in a very awkward position. It did not want to walk away from its investment in China, as that would mean significant loss in its commercial foothold.

The Chinese government did not seem likely to change its position.

Google remained statistically less popular than the homegrown Chinese search engine Baidu, and it had very little true leverage against Chinese intransigence.

On March 23, the Washington Post reported that Google came up with a clever new option. Google began redirecting visitors from Google.cn to Google.hk, its search engine system based in Hong Kong.

Because Hong Kong’s government administration is somewhat independent of the Chinese government in Beijing, the search results of Google.hk are not subject to the same self-censorship requirements.

The switch is technically legal but represents an affront to the Chinese government.

Depending on whom you ask, this move is both a victory for Google and an omen of things to come.

Other businesses that have interests in China are worried that Google’s move could result in a souring relationship between U.S.-based businesses and the Chinese government.

Many are elated that Google has taken a bold step in standing up to oppressive Chinese censorship laws.

Whether the Chinese government will begin treating U.S. businesses differently is unclear.

The Washington Post reported on March 25, however, that Google’s decision undoubtedly signals an era of greater assertiveness by U.S. businesses with the Chinese government.

According to CBS News, GoDaddy.com, a website that registers domain names on the Internet, will no longer register domain names within China.

GoDaddy.com effectively pulled out of the Chinese market in response to more stringent registration requirements the Chinese government implemented. New domain registrants will be required to provide very personal information, including an identification photograph.

For those who think that the Chinese censorship machine will begin to crumble, Google’s move might only prove to be primarily symbolic.

Users sent through Google.hk still use existing Chinese networks, so the Chinese government is perfectly capable of forcing censorship and blocking access.

According to the Washington Post, the Chinese government has already started enforcing this censorship. Users of Google.hk accessing the site from mainland China receive error messages when searching for sensitive topics, such as the publicized 1989 government crackdown on student protesters in Beijing.

Google’s Chinese users and its Chinese rival Baidu might limit the long-term impact of the decision.

Google still has less of a market share than Baidu, and many of Google’s users would much rather use Google’s services censored than make a stand and do without them.

A blog that Jonathan Stray posted on The New York Times’ website quotes a Chinese citizen who uses Baidu for patriotic reasons.

One possible outcome is a complete blockage of Google’s services, followed by a takeover of the search market by Baidu.

Google might have the moral high ground, but it could still be forced out of the Chinese market.

The high ground is still Google’s. Before Google.cn’s redirection to Google.hk, Google imposed self-censorship rules by itself.

After the redirection, all censorship efforts are being instantiated by the Chinese government, without any actions by Google.

No matter the outcome, the Washington Post definitely has a point: Google’s decision marks a turning point in China-U.S. business relations.

Google’s newest decision will more likely than not result in a reduction in China’s censorship efforts, but it might indirectly lead to less oppressive Chinese information policy.