New Google Transparency Report Shows What Countries Censor The ‘Net
By Chris Weiss
The great Google/China showdown of 2010 turned some global attention to the persistent problem of Internet censorship in an increasingly global world. That flare up has since quieted down, but Google is sure to turn a few angry heads with its new Transparency Report. The report, which you can run for yourself at google.com/transparencyreport/, displays a map of the world with information about censorship activities on each country.
The report displays the number of times a country asked for information about Google users and the number of times the country asked to have information censored or taken away. There is also a traffic graph that shows a worldwide breakdown traffic patterns for Google services, which can help to distinguish government-created interruptions from unintended interruptions.
Google explained its intentions in a blog post: “Free expression is one of our core values. We believe that more information means more choice, more freedom and ultimately more power for the individual. Free expression is, of course, also at the heart of Google’s business. Our products are specifically designed to help people create, communicate, share opinions and find information across the globe. We hope this step toward greater transparency—and these tools—will help in ongoing discussions about the free flow of information.” [via CNET and Google Blog]
