Googling Yourself Is Dangerous in China

Katherine Mangu-Ward | December 6, 2010

Li Changchun not pictured ...but mostly for Google.

More fun with the Wikileaks cables and some lessons on the dangers of vanity Googling by powerful men, from this weekend's New York Times:

As China ratcheted up the pressure on Google to censor its Internet searches last year, the American Embassy sent a secret cable to Washington detailing one reason top Chinese leaders had become so obsessed with the Internet search company: they were Googling themselves.

The May 18, 2009, cable, titled “Google China Paying Price for Resisting Censorship,” quoted a well-placed source as saying that Li Changchun, a member of China’s top ruling body, the Politburo Standing Committee, and the country’s senior propaganda official, was taken aback to discover that he could conduct Chinese-language searches on Google’s main international Web site. When Mr. Li typed his name into the search engine at google.com, he found “results critical of him.”

For more on Chinese Internet censorship—a story Reason has been covering for many years—go here, here, and here.

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Abdul|12.6.10 @ 4:12PM|#

The Chinese don't need to censor google. They could just give everyone in China names are similar to millions of other Chinese. In fact, I think they already did that.

Juvenile Lurker|12.6.10 @ 4:17PM|#

Q: Why is Googling yourself dangerous in China?

A: There are so many Wings and so many Wongs that you might Google the Wong Wing.

Suki|12.7.10 @ 7:09AM|#

In other news, Assange surrendered.

Wind Rider|12.6.10 @ 4:17PM|#

All so avoidable, but unfortunately, "Li Changchun" run through Google translations renders as "Charlie Harper"

Jeff P.|12.6.10 @ 4:18PM|#

You know if all the chinese hit the enter key at the same time it would knock the earth out of orbit...

Julian Assange|12.6.10 @ 4:24PM|#

Dammit, Jeff! Now I need a new "insurance" release!

Brett L|12.6.10 @ 4:22PM|#

You'd think some enterprising young Politburo functionary would have already come up with the idea of Googlebombing the senior leadership with fluff pieces using WoW gold farmers.

|12.6.10 @ 4:33PM|#

But it would eventually circle around to a Hit & Run comment accusing Li Changchun of fucking sheep.

Brett L|12.6.10 @ 4:42PM|#

In the future everyone will be a sheep-fucker on the internet.

Rich|12.6.10 @ 4:48PM|#

A bit crude, but it seems to have some Iron Law potential. I'll defer to R C.

Man from the Future|12.6.10 @ 5:17PM|#

That is correct.
And love dolls and semi-sentient.
And the age of consent is now 10.
And the Sign Of Peace during Mass now involves fisting.

Virginia|12.6.10 @ 4:57PM|#

you want to talk economic meltdown, China's implementing price controls to fight rampant inflation. so screw them sideways... twice.

Cytotoxic|12.6.10 @ 5:16PM|#

Oh you have NO idea how bad it is-required reading:

http://www.financialpost.com/n.....story.html

Almanian|12.6.10 @ 6:22PM|#

"Mish" was right - it was a "very long post". But quite interesting - thanks for the link!

Tman|12.6.10 @ 6:29PM|#

Good lord, that article was terrifying.

What happens to China when the price controls don't work? Double plus-ungood.

Spoonman.|12.6.10 @ 7:41PM|#

It's like I don't exist. I posted about this shit two weeks ago.

Fatty Bolger|12.6.10 @ 6:36PM|#

Spongebob in China

Mike Laursen|12.6.10 @ 7:03PM|#

When Mr. Li typed his name into the search engine at google.com, he found “results critical of him.”

Now we know what our next troll should call himself.

Michael Copps|12.7.10 @ 11:10AM|#

We here at the FCC admire the Chinese government's control of the internet.

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