Pence Says Google Should Halt Development of Chinese Search Engine

Wall Street Journal article on the same topic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pence-calls-on-google-to-drop-m...

I remember when Google moved their Chinese search service to Hong Kong in 2010 to end its censorship of search results. Now it sounds like they are not only working to bring back censored search, but also to link users' queries to their phone number such that the government could more easily track what an individual has searched for. If censorship was wrong in 2010, what makes this OK now?

> U.S. Vice President Mike Pence sharply criticized what he said was China’s theft of U.S. technology

What? By Google wanting to enter this market? That's not theft it is called capitalism. Ever heard of that Mr. Pence?

> Pence said in a speech that business leaders are now thinking twice before entering the Chinese market “if it means turning over their intellectual property or abetting Beijing’s oppression.”

It is not like China needs any of this from Google. China is #2 in AI patents, what is remarkable given that their country consisted of a bunch of farmers and no economy at all just a few decades back. It is not like China is asking Google for help it is just the case that China suddenly is an extremely attractive market in regards of advertising cash.

> “For example, Google should immediately end development of the ‘Dragonfly’ app that will strengthen Communist Party censorship and compromise the privacy of Chinese customers.”

What do you care for Chinese citizens privacy? If I recall correctly you guys built an entire intelligence agency to collect everything possible on anyone in the world.

Awesome times we live in. Stick to writing children's books, Pence, as shitty as that was, it was better than this attempt at a public statement.