Google to Launch Censored China Service

From Independent Online:

"Google today launched the latest version of its famous search engine in China, and defended its decision to self-censor some content as a trade-off that will grant Chinese greater access to other kinds of information.
Within minutes of the launch of the new site bearing China's web suffix .cn, searches for the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement showed scores of sites omitted and users directed to articles condemning the group posted on Chinese government websites."

"Google says the new site aims to make its search engine more accessible in China, thereby expanding access to information.
Yet the move has already been criticised by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, which has chided Yahoo and Microsoft Corp.'s MSN.com for submitting to China's censorship regime."

"Chinese internet users said Mountain View, California-based Google Inc.'s move was inevitable given Beijing's restrictions on the internet, which the government promotes for commerce but heavily censors for content deemed offensive or subversive."