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| © CNET Google may be launching Search for China. |
By Katie Collins, CNET
Google could be preparing to launch a search engine in China that would conform to the country's strict censorship laws, after previously opting out of country in 2010.
[post_ads]The search tool would blacklist search terms and websites referencing human rights, democracy, religion and peaceful protest, according to documents seen by the Intercept. The documents reportedly reference a project codenamed Dragonfly that has been underway since spring 2017.
The company withdrew from providing search tools to the Chinese market in 2010, and its international search engine is blocked by the country's so-called "Great Firewall." The version of the search engine Google is reportedly building would comply with China's censorship laws, even though the country is cracking down harder than ever to limit free speech online.
"We provide a number of mobile apps in China, such as Google Translate and Files Go, help Chinese developers, and have made significant investments in Chinese companies like JD.com," a Google spokeswoman said in a statement. "But we don't comment on speculation about future plans."
