Google.cn Ends Hong Kong Redirect

Marc Beck | Jun 29, 2010 4:49 pm | 11 comments | 2217 reads

As we all know, last March Google started automatically redirecting all mainland traffic using www.google.cn to its Hong Kong site, Google.com.hk. The company has now removed the automatic redirect – a move the New York Times claims is an attempt to placate local authorities as the US company faces renewal of its Internet Content Provider license.

In a Monday night blog post (inaccesible in China), Google’s chief legal officer David Drummond wrote that the Chinese government found the redirect unacceptable and that the company’s license renewal application would likely be rejected should it continue. Therefore, those logging onto www.google.cn are now provided with a link to google.com.hk rather than being automatically redirected to the Hong Kong site.

Drummond wrote: “This new approach is consistent with our commitment not to self censor and, we believe, with local law. We are therefore hopeful that our license will be renewed on this basis so we can continue to offer our Chinese users services via Google.cn.”

This doesn’t affect those using the standard US site, www.google.com.

The New York Times article quotes Drummond as saying the change will occur “in the next few days” but as the screenshot above – taken when we visited google.cn - shows the automatic redirect has already ceased.

According to the article, Google’s Internet Content Provider license for China expires tomorrow (Wednesday).

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Jerry's picture Jerry Submitted by Guest on Fri, 07/09/2010 - 17:38

From FT: "Eric Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, has issued his most optimistic prediction yet that the Chinese government will renew his company’s licence, a move that would allow it to continue operating in the world’s biggest internet market.

“We would expect we would get the necessary operating licence,” Eric Schmidt told reporters at the annual Sun Valley conference of media and technology moguls, sponsored by Allen & Co, a boutique investment bank, on Thursday evening."

Wishful thinking?

Jerry Chan, Digital Marketing & Content Strategy Director

N405WN's picture N405WN Submitted by Guest on Wed, 07/07/2010 - 10:16

China Daily reporting today that the ICP displayed on Google's home page is actually their old number and their application is still being reviewed. However, Google's operating license will remain valid unless the Chinese government rejects it. http://chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-07/07/content_10073093.htm

N405WN's picture N405WN Submitted by Guest on Thu, 07/01/2010 - 12:42

China Daily has an article today about Google not being on the initial list of companies receiving a mapping license, although Microsoft and Nokia were also not included. So who knows if this means anything: http://chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-07/01/content_10042680.htm

Also relevant, the New York Times is reporting that China has been blocking Google Suggest after the change, although when we tried, it was still working. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/china-partially-blocking-google-searches/

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