CPJ welcomes Google stand on censorship

We issued the following statement today after Google announced it had stopped censoring its search engine in China:

“We welcome this stand against censorship and hope that all Internet companies operating in China take a similar principled position,” said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. “Many of the Web sites censored by the Chinese government are news and social networking Web sites, with a wide range of topics blocked from general discussion.  Google’s decision to stop censoring search results will put Google on the wrong side of the Great Firewall. In the long run, however, we hope that it ramps up pressure on the Chinese government to allow its citizens to access the news and information they need to be informed and engaged citizens.”