No Longer Willing to Censor Google.cn Search: Google Reviewing Business Operations in China After Attack on Its Infrastructure

Google reported yesterday that an alleged attack on its corporate infrastructure last month originating in China and targeted the email accounts of Chinese human rights activists. On the Official Google Blog, David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer, writes

These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.

(Emphasis added)

Note the fear of retaliation as Drummond concludes his statement:

We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today.

[JH]