China vs. the Internet

Google, Go Daddy and others are pushing back against censorship efforts by Beijing.

You go, Go Daddy. Like Google Inc., the leading registrar of Internet domain names is pushing back against Chinese censorship, announcing Wednesday that it will stop sellingdomain names based in China. The company says the Chinese government demanded that it identify its customers, a clearly unacceptable requirement that would have allowed officials not just to block sites they didn't like but to go after the owners. Rival domain registrar Network Solutions said it has pulled out of China for the same reason.



Their actions follow Google's bold decision to stop censoring its sites in China and leave the world's largest Internet market after a four-year experiment there, redirecting users in China to its uncensored search engine based in Hong Kong. Even if users on the mainland go to the Hong Kong site, they still face censorship, but at least it will be clear that the censor in chief is Beijing and not Google. The Chinese government has retaliated for Google's pullout with a blistering and nationalistic attack against the company and, apparently, pressure on its mainland partners to sever ties.



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