Google’s tenth birthday

Google has just turned 10, but for human rights activists some of the memories of the last decade aren't so splendid.

And that's because of Google's practices in China: a country that has more Internet users than any other and one that experts believe has the most extensive, technologically sophisticated and broad-reaching Internet filtering system in the world.

Google and the two other major foreign Internet companies operating in China – Microsoft and Yahoo! – have, in one way or another, facilitated or colluded with the Chinese Government's censorship practices.

In the case of Google it launched a censored Chinese version of its international search engine.

Around the world with Google

The BBC has put together a trip around the world via Google Earth, highlighting the highs and lows of Google's decade: from its success and popularity in markets all over the globe, to the assistance it gives the Chinese government.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times asks Google's CEO Eric Schmidt about censorship and the theory that being involved in the Chinese Internet market would lead to greater openness.

He points out how the US Government's policy of refusing to deal with Cuba hasn't affected Fidel Castro's Government.

" ... So these embargo strategies don't work, and - excuse the term - we should be invading these companies with technology. Humans want information, they want technology. A strategy of withholding that is a bad strategy.

" From a Google perspective, we engaged [in China] on the terms that we are legally allowed, and it's very, very rare that there is a censored result …"

The next decade

In its story the Google’' anniversary, the Guardian forecasts what the next 10 years have in store for the company:

" …. China will resist Google, because its authoritarian government cannot contemplate the openness of information the search engine represents. China, already the largest internet nation, will be stubbornly closed to Google's best endeavours … "

Practices and principles

Of the three major Western Internet companies operating in China, Google has come closest to publicly acknowledging that its practices are at odds with its principles, and it has made a commitment to increase transparency.

While these are welcome steps, there is still a lot the company could do, including teaming up with its competitors to exert pressure on the Chinese Government, which has so far dictated its will by dealing with each company individually.

Push for transparency

In January 2007, Amnesty International joined a multi-stakeholder initiative with academics, socially responsible investment firms, other experts and companies, including Google, to develop a set of voluntary principles to promote and respect human rights on the Internet.

We are pleased Google is part of the initiative and we hope the scheme will establish a strong set of human rights principles for the industry, and that it will encourage the push for a more transparent society in China.

What do you think? Are Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft doing enough to respect human rights on the Internet?