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

[Rich Jones]

http://images.google.cn/images?q=tiananmen+massacre

This is an incredible sight.

R

On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 12:50 PM, Alex Kozak <akozak at creativecommons.org> wrote:
> '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
>>
>> 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 about our cyber-security
>> recommendations. People wanting to learn more about these kinds of attacks
>> can read this U.S. government report (PDF), Nart Villeneuve's
>> blog andthis 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 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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