Google and saving face in China - Case Study Example

?Article 30: Google and Saving Face in China Given Google’s China experience (please elaborate), how do you think Google should be handling its search engine’s openness policy in the Middle East and Latin America that have autocratic regimes? During the year 2006, Google implemented "google.cn" with the purpose of providing the Chinese people access to the global information.1 Four years after its launch and protracted negotiations with the Chinese government, Google announced that it was redirecting users of google.cn to google.com.hk where the search results were not censored or filtered. Also, Google stated that google.cn will refrain from censoring results because the hacked source code controversy. 2 In this paper, it is necessary to examine the lessons that Google learned from its experience in China. The goal of this essay is to outline ways of handling the policies of openness in Google's search engine. Avoiding the same pitfalls that Google experienced in China is required as it expands into the Middle East and Latin America. Google lessons learned. 1. Losing Face: Losing face implies that the American based Google should stay away from any conduct or statement that risk negatively affecting the Chinese Government and its workings. It was a difficult moment for Google and because of the cyber attack incident Google has completely lost its face in China. There is no ‘google.cn’.2 2. Justice and Relationship: It has become quite clear that the Chinese Government does not have a defined system of policies and procedures for any dispute can be settled admirably. The cyber attack had created bad relationship between Google and Chinese government. China had accused the ‘human rights’ aspect on Google’s scheme. This relationship changes had finally result in finishing of all business operation of Google in China.3 3. Censorship: Google should not assume that its American/western views on censorship can be easily implemented in autocratic regimes. From the incident in China, it is evident that that opposing viewpoints over cultural and government values can create vicarious circumstances. Google had determined to stop censoring the outcome in the ‘google.cn’.4 4. Innovation: During short economic cycle, the government of China holds certain other priorities. Thus, Google cannot always count on the Chinese government focusing on cultivating innovation and promoting technology. However, it should also be mentioned that innovation is a crucial factor for an emerging country such as China from longer perspective of development and considering this fact, companies such as Google should continuously strive for creating and enhancing innovative technologies.5 The incident about Google and China is unforgettable, but Google is very attracted towards Chinese market and it has developed innovative technologies such as ‘Nexus S’, ‘Android Phone’ and ‘Chrome Operating System’. 6 Recommendation to Google’s Openness Policy in Countries that have Autocratic Regimes Learning from Google's China adventure, it would not be wrong to suggest that the company has to be extremely careful in the future before implementing operations in other autocratic countries. Avoiding problems such as that of ‘losing face’, the company should build on collaboration with the governments of these countries. In this context, partnership with the governments of the countries that have autocratic regimes that Google want to operate in can be found through mutual dialogues as this will help to avoid clashes in future. Google should carefully examine the sensitivities of the host country in order to avoid providing user access to websites that can compromise relations with the government. This will certainly help in eradicating any conflicting views especially in terms of political and cultural factors that has been the major conflicting issues in China.7 For the strengthening of the openness policy in those countries, Google should gravely concentrate on factors related to politics and religion. Any news, articles or journals and forums that criticize the political or religious values of the countries should not be revealed through Google’s search engine. Views of opposition political parties should be avoided as far as possible. Any access to information that may insight violence within the country or threaten the government stability should be carefully vetted. Google should comprehensively adhere to the factors that can harm moral or cultural beliefs of the people of those countries in the East Asia, Middle East or Latin America. Issues related to sex and homosexuality and diseases such as AIDS cannot be openly presented in public in these countries. These issues hold chances of being unacceptable by these countries’ people pertaining to the cultural and moral beliefs that they hold. The economic factors related to the issues of protecting rights of human beings should be cautiously presented. Google must consider that any verse or citation by any people or communities outside these countries does not disrespect traditions. The self-censorship will strengthen the openness policy. Those actions will help Google to be transparent regarding website content fostering a bank of trust between itself and the host government. Eventually, Google will be able to capitalize on its knowledge to create building blocks (set of standards) forward more user access. This will avoid any backlash from the relevant authorities of the country. Google, in the countries holding autocratic regimes, should also look to be abreast with the laws and regulations of those countries. The complete knowledge about the legislative factors along with the cultural, economic and political factors will allow Google to develop the openness policy strictly keeping in consideration the key aspects that they need to abide by while operating their operations in those countries. References Branigan, T., 2010. “Google to end censorship in China over cyber attacks”. “Guardian News and Media Limited”. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/12/google-china-ends-censorship Fishman, T. C., 2010. “Why Google is waging a lonely fight”. “USA Today”. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-04-01-column01_ST_N.htm LU, G., 2010. “Google China, Innovation Or Localization”. “TechNode” http://technode.com/2010/12/08/google-china-innovation-or-localization/ MacKinnon, Rebecca. CHINA - "Race to the Bottom" Corporate Complicity in Chinese Internet Censorship. US: Human Rights Watch, 2006. Romm, T., 2010. “State of Google-China relationship unclear after cyberattack”. “Capitol Hill Publishing Corp”. http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/85273-state-of-google-china-relationship-still-unclear Segal, A., 2010. “Google and Saving Face in China”. “Council on Foreign Relations”. http://www.cfr.org/china/google-saving-face-china/p21726 Wang, N., 2008. “Control of Internet Search Engines in China -- A Study on Google and Baidu”. “bitstream”. http://unitec.researchbank.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10652/1272/fulltext.pdf?sequence=1 Read More