*We're excited to share with you news that on Tuesday, Google, the largest
Internet search engine and arguably one the world's most influential
corporations, announced that it would stop censoring search results in
China.* This decision came after Google discovered 'highly sophisticated and
targeted attacks' on its corporate infrastructure from China. Dozens of
Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China were also targeted by
the cyber attacks.

The statement on Google's official blog
<http://googleblog.blogspot.com/>declared: "We have decided we are no
longer willing to continue censoring
our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be
discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate
an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all."

Remarkably, just hours after this statement was issued, journalists in
Beijing were reporting<http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/13/google.china.exit/>that
the censors had been lifted, a move that may result in Google.cn being
shut down by the Chinese government and Google withdrawing from China
altogether.


*Read SFT's statement <http://blog.studentsforafreetibet.org/?p=14614>* in
response to Google's decision, including a quote from Tenzin Seldon, SFT's
region 7 coordinator, whose Gmail account was one of a dozen to be hacked.

<http://noluv4google.com/article.php?id=801>Four years ago, when Google
created Google.cn, a custom-built search platform that adhered to Beijing's
cyber restrictions, SFT publicly opposed the move. SFT members organized
protests at Google <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMIRZJrsHMo> offices
worldwide, including at their headquarters in Mountainview, California. We
also launched the 'No Luv for Google
Campaign'<http://www.noluv4google.com/>and initiated an online boycott
of the search engine. More than 12,000
people agreed to "break up" with Google on Valentine's Day. Watch an
entertaining video <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV7Q0rY_l4E&NR=1> of
the Google "break up" in New York.

Thank you to everyone who took action opposing Google.cn in 2006 - your
emails, phone calls, and faxes made a difference.

Google's decision to stand up to Beijing is a landmark victory for freedom
of expression, freedom of information, human rights, and the Tibet movement
and is likely to have implications for other western companies operating in
China.

*Access Now <http://www.accessnow.org/> *- a media freedom organization is
asking people to sign a petition
<http://www.accessnow.org/page/s/GoogleWin>calling on Google to stand
by its decision.

Let this be a wake-up call to corporations and political leaders everywhere:
colluding with Beijing's repressive policies does not bring about positive
change or greater freedoms in China and Tibet. As we applaud Google's
breakup with Beijing, we call on other companies and governments to also
stand up to the Chinese government's tyranny.

In solidarity,

Tendor, Kate, Tendolkar, Schuyler, Nathan, Lhadon and the entire SFT HQ crew

*Read more coverage of Google's announcement:*

In Google’s Rebuke of China, Focus Falls on Cybersecurity
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/technology/14google.html<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/technology/14google.html%20>

Google's Chief Legal Officer on CNBC: http://is.gd/6cExi

Washington Post on implications for the Chinese government:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011301168.html
Reuters - China Internet activists applaud Google:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60C1DA20100113?type=technologyNews

More reactions from Chinese Internet Users:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china-google-2010jan14,0,3880471.story

Furious Google throws down gauntlet to China over censorship:
http://is.gd/6cVPM

China Digital Times: http://is.gd/6cSAn

Human Rights Watch - Google Challenges Censorship:
http://www.hrw.org/node/87654

Guardian - Google Strikes a Blow to China's Great Firewall:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/13/google-china-censorship-firewall

BBC - Google's Turn around In China:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8456622.stm


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Tenzin Dolkar
USA Grassroots Director
Students for a Free Tibet International Headquarters

tdolkar@stud...
T: + 212.358.0071
M: + 917.664.5530

www.studentsforafreetibet.org
www.facebook.com/studentsforafreetibet
www.twitter.com/SFTHQ
blog.studentsforafreetibet.org
www.youtube.com/SFTtv
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