The Chinese government tried to downplay Google’s actions, stating that its internet environment is free and open. Many Chinese netizens mourn the retreat of Google, while others dig up conspiracy theories. Western experts and media look to possible reasons and implications.
Last year, as an exchange student in Shanghai, I experienced internet censorship firsthand. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and some forums were all blocked. Whenever I tried to type sensitive terms into the search box, the page would come up with an IE error message. No matter how many times I refreshed the page, my access to the website was blocked.
If Google does say goodbye, what will that mean for Chinese netizens? Given my personal experience, I feel that Google's retreat will further alienate the Chinese from engaging with the world, limiting their options. Despite China's rapid economic development in the global stage, its people will remain isolated by comparison.
An editorial in Southern Metropolis Daily, one of the most outspoken media outlets in China, expresses concerns about the social implications of the world's largest search engine's potential pull-out from the fastest-growing internet market. They wrote that the Chinese network is denied access to most international communities, and that integrating its netizens into the cyber age needs to be brought in line with international norms.
Google has taken a major step to combat censorship. “Google’s principled policy may be a wakeup call for those concerned with internet business and security,” wrote Ron Deibert, Director of the Citizen Lab at Munk Centre for International Studies at U of T, in The Globe And Mail. He sees Google’s actions as a heroic move, setting a precedent for other companies dissatisfied with the Chinese government.
China is not the only country putting pressure on international companies. Rebecca MacKinnon of the University of Hong Kong questions whether Google would stand up to democracies, such as France and Italy, that also impose internet censorship on citizens.
"Other countries are slightly different because there is, at least in most of them, a public law that Google can make reference to when making decisions about whether to remove information," Deibert told the newspaper. "In the case of China, they were being asked to remove information on short notice. Often these requests were connected to corrupt party officials, and had nothing to do with national security or political stability. There is no law that was backing up their requests."
Since launching its Chinese-language site in 2006, Google has failed to become the top search engine in China. It controls 31.1 percent of the web search market, but has not beat out its local rival Baidu, which only displays results in Chinese, at 63.9 percent. China only accounts for a small portion of its worldwide revenue ($200 million USD annually); therefore, pulling out of the country would not be a disaster profit-wise.
While Google would like to hold negotiations with the Chinese government to avoid shutting down their Chinese offices, their relationship has been strained. "I am assuming that [the Chinese government] will not allow an unfiltered search engine," said Deibert. "They will start filtering Google, and perhaps will make it difficult to operate in the country, forcing them out of the market."
If Google does pull out, one wonders how long it will take Chinese netizens to adapt. Nevertheless, they will be the biggest losers.
