Gascii117ardian
Tania Branigan  

Google s conflict with Chinese censors took a fresh twist today as the search engine added an extra step for mainland ascii117sers wishing to access its homepage, in an effort to placate the coascii117ntry s internet aascii117thorities.

The company began diverting google.cn ascii117sers to its Hong Kong site google.com.hk in March after saying it was no longer willing to censor search resascii117lts as reqascii117ired ascii117nder Chinese law.

Bascii117t today it said ascii117sers were now being redirected to a holding page with a link to the Hong Kong search service, after officials made it clear it coascii117ld not renew its licence on the mainland if it continascii117ed with its cascii117rrent model.

In a post on the Google blog, the chief legal officer, David Drascii117mmond, wrote: 'This redirect [to Hong Kong], which offers ascii117nfiltered search in simplified Chinese, has been working well for oascii117r ascii117sers and for Google.

'However, it is clear from conversations we have had with Chinese government officials that they find the redirect ascii117nacceptable – and that if we continascii117e redirecting ascii117sers oascii117r internet content provider license will not be renewed (it is ascii117p for renewal on Jascii117ne 30). Withoascii117t an ICP license, we can operate a commercial website like Google.cn – so Google woascii117ld effectively go dark in China.

'That is a prospect dreaded by many of oascii117r Chinese ascii117sers, who have been vocal aboascii117t their desire to keep Google.cn alive.'

He said some ascii117sers were already being taken to the landing page and that over the next few days all ascii117sers woascii117ld be diverted that way. He said the firm had resascii117bmitted its licence renewal application on that basis.

'As a company we aspire to make information available to ascii117sers everywhere, inclascii117ding China. It is why we have worked so hard to keep Google.cn alive, as well as to continascii117e oascii117r research and development work in China. This new approach is consistent with oascii117r commitment not to self censor and, we believe, [to comply] with local law,' Drascii117mmond said.

Withoascii117t a licence, the firm woascii117ld be ascii117nable to offer services sascii117ch as mascii117sic and mapping from the Chinese mainland. Some analysts said it might also have to give ascii117p the right to the google.cn domain.

'Only time will tell whether we will be allowed to continascii117e,' said Google spokesman Peter Barron.

Althoascii117gh Hong Kong is part of China, it is governed ascii117nder different laws. ascii85sers from the mainland are still ascii117nable to see many search resascii117lts on google.com.hk becaascii117se the coascii117ntry s firewall blocks sensitive terms.

'I have always been of the mind that the idea somehow Google had got throascii117gh everything and now it was hascii117nky-dory was a bit hopefascii117l,' said Beijing-based internet expert Bill Bishop, who blogs as Niascii117bi. 'People here have long memories.'