It’s the world’s largest economy, and Google should want nothing to do with it.

Mitchell Banks
Sep 2, 2018 · 3 min read

Google is often know as the worldwide leader in all things internet. They are the owner of the first and second most popular search engines in the world, as well as running the largest online ad platform. However, Google has steered clear of the world’s largest economy by purchasing power parity: China. This wasn’t always the case.

Google began servicing the Chinese market in 2000. In 2006, Google launched it’s China-based google.cn search page, which allowed the Chinese government to sensor search results; common practice for the internet in China. After a 2010 cyber attack that targeted Google and other US tech companies, Google announced it would no longer censor search results on google.cn, leading to the website being banned by the Chinese government. After attempts to redirect users to Google Hong Kong, Google eventually withdrew from the Chinese market.

At its peak, Google China served an estimated market of 338 million users in mainland China. Since that time, estimated internet users in China has grown to 772 million, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. Chinese companies like Baidu have stepped in to fill the void created by Google’s absence. The Chinese tech market has become a powerhouse in its own right, with China becoming a world leader in AI research, gene editing, and biotech. Struggling in nearly every realm outside of web search against competitors like Apple and Amazon, Google is now eying a comeback to the Chinese market to capitalize on its growth.

What does this mean for Google? For starters, it’s the beginning of a long road. American powerhouse brands like Uber and Amazon haven’t been able to find success in the Chinese market, with Amazon having trouble finding even a 1% market share, and Uber withdrawing completely after failure to draw interest in the region. Google with have to come back into a saturated market that is already unfavorable toward western companies.

More importantly (and alarmingly), however, it means playing by the rules of the Chinese government once more. Google execs have already agreed to censorship of google.cn on their return, which sets a dangerous precedent for the company which has historically been one of the largest supporters for net neutrality and free speech. This move could be detrimental to the western world’s image of Google as the last bastion of a truly free internet.

In an authoritarian government known for private sector intervention, and coming on the heels of Facebook’s Russia scandal, a return to China poses a threat to Google’s integrity. As mentioned in “Why China Is A No-Go Land For Google,” trading user information to the Chinese government in exchange for market dominance is a believable possibility for many, and Google has no way to insulate itself from this speculation.

As a community, we have grown to respect the values of Google through their actions. This integrity is a defining factor of the organization, and a move back into an Orwellian society during a volatile time in cyber security puts that integrity at risk, and that is a risk Google shouldn’t be willing to take.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2018/08/30/why-china-is-a-no-go-land-for-google/#5c19b0015b3c