Stuck on Tech

The words “censorship” and “Google” have been bound together as of late. This is because Google has decided to comply with the Chinese government’s request to filter Internet search results. Personally, I don’t think China will gain much by this policy. However, it raises the question, “Is Google obligated to adhere to the standards set by other countries?” Yes, it is. Here in the United States, censorship feels utterly wrong. To many, it is a threat to freedom. However, we should remember that travelers to foreign countries are obliged to follow the customs and laws of the land. In a sense, Google is a guest in China. Google is primarily driven by two objectives. First, it wants to collect statistics on the search habits of “surfers.” Secondly, it is attempting to make money on advertisements based on the collected statistics. That being said, we can safely presume that Google has not entered China in order to start a revolution toward a democratic government. Neither does it have a goal to plaster “Free Tibet” on each search page returned. Software companies that adapt to these situations will win in the long run. If and when China changes its censorship policies, Google will already have a foot in the door to offer more content to the Chinese people.