"Google's new China search engine not only censors many Web sites that question the Chinese government, but it goes further than similar services from Microsoft and Yahoo by targeting teen pregnancy, homosexuality, dating, beer and jokes. In addition, CNET News.com has found that contrary to Google co-founder Sergey Brin's promise to inform users when their search results are censored, the company frequently filters out sites without revealing it," reports CNet.
Some of the blackballing appeared to be a mistake. The University of Pennsylvania's entire engineering school server -- which hosted one Falun Gong site -- was blocked from Google's Google.cn China site. So was an Essex County Web site, which sports the word "sex" -- as in "Essex" -- in its domain name. Google.cn also doesn't display search.msn.com to someone who's hunting for the rival Microsoft service.
Although this is amusing, lives are at stake. As the story says later:
Adrienne Verrilli, communications director for the Sexuality Information and Education Council (blocked from Google.cn), said valuable, life-saving Web sites often get blocked in censorship sweeps. "I guess the Chinese people aren't allowed to get good sexual health information," Verrilli said. "That's unfortunate and disappointing. We have such good information for the Chinese, who are going to be steeped in their own HIV/AIDs crisis very shortly."
Update: But now CNet reports Google fixes China search bugs
