[FC-discuss] Fwd: Google to stop censoring in China

[Alex Kozak]

'm very happy about this. http://i.imgur.com/5xJmy.jpg

- Alex

On Tue, Jan 12, 2010 at 4:36 PM, Elizabeth Stark <emstark at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html
>
> A new approach to China<http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html>
> 1/12/2010 03:00:00 PM
> Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying
> degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly
> sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure
> originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property
> from Google. However, it soon became clear that what at first appeared to be
> solely a security incident--albeit a significant one--was something quite
> different.
>
> First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we
> have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range
> of businesses--including the Internet, finance, technology, media and
> chemical sectors--have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the
> process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the
> relevant U.S. authorities.
>
> Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers
> was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Based on
> our investigation to date we believe their attack did not achieve that
> objective. Only two Gmail accounts appear to have been accessed, and that
> activity was limited to account information (such as the date the account
> was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.
>
> Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack on
> Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and
> Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear
> to have been routinely accessed by third parties. These accounts have not
> been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via
> phishing scams or malware placed on the users' computers.
>
> We have already used information gained from this attack to make
> infrastructure and architectural improvements that enhance security for
> Google and for our users. In terms of individual users, we would advise
> people to deploy reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their
> computers, to install patches for their operating systems and to update
> their web browsers. Always be cautious when clicking on links appearing in
> instant messages and emails, or when asked to share personal information
> like passwords online. You can read more here<http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/next-steps-in-cyber-security-awareness.html> about
> our cyber-security recommendations. People wanting to learn more about these
> kinds of attacks can read this U.S. government report<http://www.uscc.gov/researchpapers/2009/NorthropGrumman_PRC_Cyber_Paper_FINAL_Approved%20Report_16Oct2009.pdf>
>  (PDF), Nart Villeneuve's blog <http://www.nartv.org/> andthis<http://www.scribd.com/doc/13731776/Tracking-GhostNet-Investigating-a-Cyber-Espionage-Network> presentation
> on the GhostNet spying incident.
>
> We have taken the unusual step of sharing information about these attacks
> with a broad audience not just because of the security and human rights
> implications of what we have unearthed, but also because this information
> goes to the heart of a much bigger global debate about freedom of speech. In
> the last two decades, China's economic reform programs and its citizens'
> entrepreneurial flair have lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out
> of poverty. Indeed, this great nation is at the heart of much economic
> progress and development in the world today.
>
> We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of
> increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet
> outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time we
> made clear<http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/02/testimony-internet-in-china.html> that
> "we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other
> restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve
> the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to
> China."
>
> 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.
>
> The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly
> hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences.
> 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. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult
> issues raised.
>
>
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>


-- 
Alex Kozak
Education Program Assistant
Creative Commons
415.369.8492
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