Honestly, it makes me sick that Google/Microsoft/Yahoo play along with Chinese censorship. I always feel like companies have at least a bit of moral obligation to do right with what they achieve. I know China is a gigantic market, but I would hope there are people out there who want to make a difference in the world. Maybe they have to play along in order to make change, I don't know.
Google blocks results for one-third fewer search terms than Baidu
I am annoyed at the tone of both corporate and government involvement in China. I don’t expect things to change, but for some reason it still bothers me.
And I think it's wrong to expect corporations and government to have more moral obligation that the citizens, after all they are composed of the same people.
If people want cheap goods which are made in china and higher revenues and profits from their companies the corporations and government are going to bend over backwards, because that's what the people want.
If all people stop using Google, etc. and stop buying chinese products, write to their senators and congressmen then corporations and government will do something, till then nothing will happen.
Also, it's inevitable that the name Tiananmen Square conjures up different associations in China and the west. Similarly, I imagine that Waco is a city to a Texan, but to me it's a siege.
Even if Google isn't explicitly censoring it, Chinese censorship as a whole is going to severely limit either the knowledge of the 1989 protests, the number of websites that are willing to mention it, or both. That will inevitably have an effect on Google's results.
While there is definitely censorship around these events, outside expectations for what the [Tiananmen Square] query should return aren't the right standard.
To the outside world, the 1989 clashes are synonymous with the Square -- indeed, saying "Tiananmen Square" means the clashes as much as the place. But for China, it's a national plaza with a much longer history.
One might compare the [national mall] in Washington DC. There have been many large assemblies there, though the first page of Google image results doesn't show any of the mall filled with people -- an image many of us have seen, many times. (There's at least one such image on the second page.)
If there were at some point some focal "national mall incident", we would expect images of such incident to rise in [national mall] results -- but not necessarily dominate it completely.
From what I understand, Google makes a clear distinction that "don't be evil" is not synonymous with "do no evil." One's about intent, the other is absolute. The test is whether they correct course when they discover that they had been doing evil.
How are companies supposed to do business in a country that won't let them? When China says "Sorry, you broke our laws, we're confiscating all your assets here.", what is Google going to do?
Are you equally sickened that Google doesn't do business in Cuba?
One thing that is clear isolating China, or not doing business with the Chinese because you have different principles isn't going to change anything. What seems to have influenced China most is trade. These companies are better off in China, than outside: then at least they can attempt to influence policy.
There is a difference between showing dislike for operating practices and either breaking the law, or pulling out entirely. No doubt there are profits, but we have seen in the West how the internet can change government. The technology is not going away and as such gives me great hope in the future, even in closed states.
It's only fair to point out that Google/Microsoft/Yahoo also play along with European censorship. Part of doing business is abiding by the law of the country you operate in.
Google blocks results for one-third fewer search terms than Baidu
Baidu sounds like the perfect match for China.