According to the article, Google started operating in China in 2006 in order to widespread criticism. Unfortunately, it broke China’s internet censorship law. Li Yizhong, Minister of Industry and Information Technology said "We need to preserve our nation's interest, our people's interest, we cannot be relaxed with any information that will cause harm to the stability of our society, to our system, and to the health of our under-age young people," (¶5) "So, of course, what needs to be shut down will be shut down, what needs to be blocked will be blocked." (¶6) Therefore, if Google want to continue providing their website in China, they have to comply and respect the Chinese government's laws and regulations otherwise they have to pay the consequences. However, Google declared to close google.cn in January and would not abide by China’s internet censorship laws anymore because of censorship and a hacking attack on the portal. Nevertheless, Chinese government said that although Google stopped providing their services in China, it caused small effects to Chinese because Google hold less than a third of the search engine market in China, while Baidu, Chinese search engine, hold about 60%.
I disagree with this China’s law because personally I think Google is a very useful website. I can search for everything that I want to know from every country around the world within a minute. I always start searching from Google when I have no idea about which website I can get information that I want. Therefore, Google likes a gateway to other websites for me. From these reasons, I think it’s not fair to Chinese people that they have no right to access this useful website. I don’t understand what Chinese government is afraid of if their people can access Google. Does government try to conceal some facts from their people? Moreover, government should not think that most of their people can use Baidu instead of Google, so it doesn’t matter that Google will quit from China. They should concern other foreigners living in China as well. These people cannot understand Chinese very well, so it’s difficult for them to search for information in Chinese website. Therefore, I strongly disagree with this policy.
__________
References
China warns Google to comply with censorship laws. (2010, March 12). The BBC News. Retrieved March 14, 2010 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8564822.stm
I also disagree with China's censorship laws, though perhaps for different reasons to Kate's, who quotes the Chinese Info. Minister's excuse for censorship as being the "need to preserve our nation's interest, our people's interest, we cannot be relaxed with any information that will cause harm to the stability of our society, to our system, and to the health of our under-age young people," (¶5)
ReplyDeleteThis excuse is a common one that governments use, and I think it is at best wrong, and more often dishonest. A better basis for a healthy and strong society is one that is well informed and accepts a plurality of opinions, which is impossible on any topic that is censored - I don't mean that ignorance is the usual result of censorship of information of the Chinese type, but that ignorance is in principle a necessary and certain result of all such censorship. How can it help a society for matters of real public concern, such as government corruption, violence, and the like, to be shrouded in ignorance? I think such laws are made up to protect governments, not to benefit citizens or societies.
I agree with Kate that the Chinese censorship laws are immoral.
I also disagree with this censorship. As humanity,People have rights to to know any information.
ReplyDelete