Will Google Thrive Under Chinese Censorship?
Published:August 18, 2018
Reading Time:7 min read
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It's been over a week since the world learned Google intends to reenter to China with a censored search engine designed to please Chinese authorities to open ne...
It's been over a week since the world learned Google intends to reenter to China with a censored search engine designed to please Chinese authorities to open new business opportunities in the country it once abandoned.
SEE ALSO: Google May Reopen its Business in China
From a company that once held the motto “Don't be evil” and opposed state censorships to a company crawling back into business, Google has dramatically changed course over its last eight years of operations.
[caption id="attachment_10327" align="aligncenter" width="720"]
Google's motto "Don't be evil"[/caption]
Many Chinese social media users said they feel disappointed about Google’s decision to drop its long-hold values to please Chinese authorities. It's like seeing Kevin Durant finally decide to play for the Golden State Warriors. It's great to see a great player playing for a great team, but it seems like the player had to give up what made him great in the first place.
It would be futile to make any moral judgements about Google’s willingness to succumb to authoritarianism. Google is not a democratically elected government, nor is it an entity that holds public resources and taxpayers’ contributions. As a profit-seeking company, Google has the right to make any decision that may improve its profits. However, it's very important to note that Google will face additional challenges after entering the Chinese Internet market. For this renowned Internet company, China will be a land of opportunity or the origin of endless troubles.
Censorship: More than Hiding Results
After rumors of Google’s returns to China surfaced, the state-controlled People's Daily ran an editorial that welcomed the company back to China – if it obeyed local laws and requirements.
For those with little knowledge of China’s political system, the Party mouthpiece’s statement may sound innocuous. However, censorship in China is nowhere close to following standard guidelines or rules. The unlimited power the Cyberspace Administration has over Internet companies is a key issue Google should never underestimate or neglect.
Google may be looking to Microsoft’s Bing for a reference in government relations. However, Bing’s experiences may not be as helpful as one would imagine. For Internet companies operating in China, censorship comes irregularly and arbitrarily. Despite having the same country of origin, in the eyes of Chinese censorship officials, Google and Bing are not the same. Google is more influential and better known, which means they will use special, personalized methods to ensure Google obeys at all times.
[caption id="attachment_10329" align="aligncenter" width="720"]
Microsoft's Bing[/caption]
This leaves very little room to predict or anticipate the government’s next move. Everyone has to be waiting for the call, and those calls could surprise whoever answers. Punishments and disciplinary measures from censorship agency vary significantly. From imposing a several-thousand-dollar fine to permanently banning an application, no one knows will happen when things go wrong. Ask Neihan Duanzi, an application shut down by Chinese officials who claimed it presented “vulgar content.”
Censorship is more than taking down some names and hiding certain things in the search engine. In China, it is a superior power that everyone must obey, no matter how absurd it may be. Authorities want complete control of information products and demand that companies show their loyalty to the regime. Even foreign airlines are prohibited from listing Taiwan as a destination country.
Chinese cyberspace authorities will ask for more than the removal of what they want hidden. Google may be ordered to promote pro-government articles when users begin to type certain names. With the company attempting to come into China, Google may be ordered by the Chinese government to lobby President Donald Trump to eliminate the tariffs he imposed on Chinese goods.
Unfortunately, no one can ever prepare for or prevent such censorship risks in China. And for Google, a customized design might be the only way the company can return to China.
For Google, China is a Pandora’s box: the problems will only emerge after it returns to the mysterious land of 1.3 billion potential users. The question that Google must evaluate is whether it is ready to roll with whatever Orwellian nonsense pop-ups up anytime and anywhere.
Baidu’s China-Born Nastiness
For those that are already in the Chinese market, Google’s return may be a huge threat. Baidu, in particular, is believed to be the company that will be most affected.
Robin Li, Baidu’s CEO, was optimistic view about the potential competition between Google and Baidu. Li said what happened eight years ago was a victory for the China-born search engine, and that he was confident Baidu would prevail in another round of competition.
Li’s remarks on the Baidu–Google rivalry were mocked by critics who largely attribute Baidu’s success to China’s Great Firewall. In the view of Baidu's critics, the Chinese search engine is a Google clone that only survived because of the government’s hardline interference that purged Chinese cyberspace of foreign competitors.
[caption id="attachment_10330" align="aligncenter" width="720"]
Google vs. Baidu[/caption]
Baidu’s public image is far from positive. Despite dominating roughly 70 percent of the Chinese search engine market, the company is distrusted by the public for its questionable results, which include a huge medical scandal in 2016. Hospitals and healthcare providers recommended by Baidu usually turn out to be unqualified quacks who wreak irrecoverable damage on their patients.
Yet despite negative news and poor product quality, Baidu continues to survive and thrive. It remains the most frequently used search tool in China in spite of its troubled history and poor reputation.
Instead of focusing on power users, Baidu targets users who are relatively new to the Internet. With its applications and programs pre-installed on Chinese smartphones, Baidu is able to survive on the huge number of users visiting and using its products. For the native Chinese search tool, quantity over quality has become its model of success during the past decade.
Unlike the United States or other developed countries, China has different customs and ethics that may be complicated to understand. Business ethics and integrity are secondary for most companies, and corporate social responsibility is too advanced for both corporate managers and Chinese consumers. With the help of state censorship, companies slither out of scandals rather quickly.
This leaves Chinese companies with little incentives to invest in building a positive corporate image or giving back to the community. In competing with Google, Baidu has certainly won the game of nastiness. Google will never be able to drop to Baidu's level to compete. For Google, a scandal that size could cost the company billions of dollars in half a day on the stock market.
For Google, its major incentive to reenter China is the number of potential users. However, it is not likely Google will be as reckless as Baidu when it comes to advertising and private data collection. At the end of the day, what Google does in China will be reflected on the US stock market at all times.
Succumbing to Trade Barriers
Attempting to return the Chinese market in the middle of a US–China trade war may result in Google getting a raw deal.
In 2016, the United States government named China’s Internet controls and Great Firewall as a trade barrier. For Google, the status quo will put the company into an unfair place. Higher costs, more restrictions, and weird visa requirements will become potential problems.
With Donald Trump actively placing tariffs on Chinese goods to seek a better deal, Google may enjoy a free ride from Donald Trump: If the president of the United States can take down some of the Chinese trade barriers, Google may not need to face censorship pressure. While opening cyberspace may be difficult, the ongoing trade war may bring changes to Google's situation very soon.
It will be all up to Google’s strategists: should the company take the current offer and live with uncertainty, or should it wait and see how things develop. Google will need to put more time into its research and evaluation before making gamble that may be pivotal to the company’s future.
Google's motto "Don't be evil"[/caption]
Many Chinese social media users said they feel disappointed about Google’s decision to drop its long-hold values to please Chinese authorities. It's like seeing Kevin Durant finally decide to play for the Golden State Warriors. It's great to see a great player playing for a great team, but it seems like the player had to give up what made him great in the first place.
It would be futile to make any moral judgements about Google’s willingness to succumb to authoritarianism. Google is not a democratically elected government, nor is it an entity that holds public resources and taxpayers’ contributions. As a profit-seeking company, Google has the right to make any decision that may improve its profits. However, it's very important to note that Google will face additional challenges after entering the Chinese Internet market. For this renowned Internet company, China will be a land of opportunity or the origin of endless troubles.
Censorship: More than Hiding Results
After rumors of Google’s returns to China surfaced, the state-controlled People's Daily ran an editorial that welcomed the company back to China – if it obeyed local laws and requirements.
For those with little knowledge of China’s political system, the Party mouthpiece’s statement may sound innocuous. However, censorship in China is nowhere close to following standard guidelines or rules. The unlimited power the Cyberspace Administration has over Internet companies is a key issue Google should never underestimate or neglect.
Google may be looking to Microsoft’s Bing for a reference in government relations. However, Bing’s experiences may not be as helpful as one would imagine. For Internet companies operating in China, censorship comes irregularly and arbitrarily. Despite having the same country of origin, in the eyes of Chinese censorship officials, Google and Bing are not the same. Google is more influential and better known, which means they will use special, personalized methods to ensure Google obeys at all times.
[caption id="attachment_10329" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Microsoft's Bing[/caption]
This leaves very little room to predict or anticipate the government’s next move. Everyone has to be waiting for the call, and those calls could surprise whoever answers. Punishments and disciplinary measures from censorship agency vary significantly. From imposing a several-thousand-dollar fine to permanently banning an application, no one knows will happen when things go wrong. Ask Neihan Duanzi, an application shut down by Chinese officials who claimed it presented “vulgar content.”
Censorship is more than taking down some names and hiding certain things in the search engine. In China, it is a superior power that everyone must obey, no matter how absurd it may be. Authorities want complete control of information products and demand that companies show their loyalty to the regime. Even foreign airlines are prohibited from listing Taiwan as a destination country.
Chinese cyberspace authorities will ask for more than the removal of what they want hidden. Google may be ordered to promote pro-government articles when users begin to type certain names. With the company attempting to come into China, Google may be ordered by the Chinese government to lobby President Donald Trump to eliminate the tariffs he imposed on Chinese goods.
Unfortunately, no one can ever prepare for or prevent such censorship risks in China. And for Google, a customized design might be the only way the company can return to China.
For Google, China is a Pandora’s box: the problems will only emerge after it returns to the mysterious land of 1.3 billion potential users. The question that Google must evaluate is whether it is ready to roll with whatever Orwellian nonsense pop-ups up anytime and anywhere.
Baidu’s China-Born Nastiness
For those that are already in the Chinese market, Google’s return may be a huge threat. Baidu, in particular, is believed to be the company that will be most affected.
Robin Li, Baidu’s CEO, was optimistic view about the potential competition between Google and Baidu. Li said what happened eight years ago was a victory for the China-born search engine, and that he was confident Baidu would prevail in another round of competition.
Li’s remarks on the Baidu–Google rivalry were mocked by critics who largely attribute Baidu’s success to China’s Great Firewall. In the view of Baidu's critics, the Chinese search engine is a Google clone that only survived because of the government’s hardline interference that purged Chinese cyberspace of foreign competitors.
[caption id="attachment_10330" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Google vs. Baidu[/caption]
Baidu’s public image is far from positive. Despite dominating roughly 70 percent of the Chinese search engine market, the company is distrusted by the public for its questionable results, which include a huge medical scandal in 2016. Hospitals and healthcare providers recommended by Baidu usually turn out to be unqualified quacks who wreak irrecoverable damage on their patients.
Yet despite negative news and poor product quality, Baidu continues to survive and thrive. It remains the most frequently used search tool in China in spite of its troubled history and poor reputation.
Instead of focusing on power users, Baidu targets users who are relatively new to the Internet. With its applications and programs pre-installed on Chinese smartphones, Baidu is able to survive on the huge number of users visiting and using its products. For the native Chinese search tool, quantity over quality has become its model of success during the past decade.
Unlike the United States or other developed countries, China has different customs and ethics that may be complicated to understand. Business ethics and integrity are secondary for most companies, and corporate social responsibility is too advanced for both corporate managers and Chinese consumers. With the help of state censorship, companies slither out of scandals rather quickly.
This leaves Chinese companies with little incentives to invest in building a positive corporate image or giving back to the community. In competing with Google, Baidu has certainly won the game of nastiness. Google will never be able to drop to Baidu's level to compete. For Google, a scandal that size could cost the company billions of dollars in half a day on the stock market.
For Google, its major incentive to reenter China is the number of potential users. However, it is not likely Google will be as reckless as Baidu when it comes to advertising and private data collection. At the end of the day, what Google does in China will be reflected on the US stock market at all times.
Succumbing to Trade Barriers
Attempting to return the Chinese market in the middle of a US–China trade war may result in Google getting a raw deal.
In 2016, the United States government named China’s Internet controls and Great Firewall as a trade barrier. For Google, the status quo will put the company into an unfair place. Higher costs, more restrictions, and weird visa requirements will become potential problems.
With Donald Trump actively placing tariffs on Chinese goods to seek a better deal, Google may enjoy a free ride from Donald Trump: If the president of the United States can take down some of the Chinese trade barriers, Google may not need to face censorship pressure. While opening cyberspace may be difficult, the ongoing trade war may bring changes to Google's situation very soon.
It will be all up to Google’s strategists: should the company take the current offer and live with uncertainty, or should it wait and see how things develop. Google will need to put more time into its research and evaluation before making gamble that may be pivotal to the company’s future.
