‘Don’t be evil, unless it’s worth untold new riches’

By Around the Web

(Common Dreams) In a move human rights groups are warning could have grave implications for internet freedom across the globe, Google is reportedly preparing to launch a “censored version” of its search engine in China that will automatically blacklist terms and websites related to peaceful dissent, free expression, and democracy.

According to The Intercept’s Ryan Gallagher, who first reported on the tech giant’s plans on Wednesday, “The project—code-named Dragonfly—has been underway since spring of last year, and accelerated following a December 2017 meeting between Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai and a top Chinese government official.”

Citing anonymous sources familiar with the plan—including a Google whistleblower who has “moral and ethical concerns” about his company’s role in censorship—as well as confidential company documents, Gallagher reported that “programmers and engineers at Google have created a custom Android app” which “has already been demonstrated to the Chinese government; the finalized version could be launched in the next six to nine months, pending approval from Chinese officials.”

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