Between cyberattacks, "combined with attempts over the last year to further limit free speech on the web in China including the persistent blocking of websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Docs and Blogger—had led us to conclude that we could no longer continue censoring our results on Google.cn.***"
*** The Google.cn page Now Redirects to Google.com.hk
A translation of the Chinese version of Google.com.hk reads, ""Welcome to Google Search in China's new home."
So earlier today we stopped censoring our search services—Google Search, Google News, and Google Images—on Google.cn. Users visiting Google.cn are now being redirected to Google.com.hk, where we are offering uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via our servers in Hong Kong. Users in Hong Kong will continue to receive their existing uncensored, traditional Chinese service, also from Google.com.hk. Due to the increased load on our Hong Kong servers and the complicated nature of these changes, users may see some slowdown in service or find some products temporarily inaccessible as we switch everything over.
We believe this new approach of providing uncensored search in simplified Chinese from Google.com.hk is a sensible solution to the challenges we've faced—it's entirely legal and will meaningfully increase access to information for people in China. We very much hope that the Chinese government respects our decision, though we are well aware that it could at any time block access to our services.
Google will update this new web page daily. It shows the Google services (all, some, none, combination of the three) that are or are not available in China.
Finally, Google intends to stay in China to do R&D work and also to keep a "sales presence" there. The size of the sales team will be, "partially dependent on the ability of mainland Chinese users to access Google.com.hk."
The post concludes by saying all of these decisions were made by executives in the United States. and that none of our employees in China can, or should, be held responsible for them, "and that none of our employees in China can, or should, be held responsible for them." Google is "immensely" proud of their employees in China.
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