Google and China Continue Clashing

Could Google be spearheading a new movement toward corporate responsibility with its threat to pull out of China? Honestly I don't think so, but I must say that at a time when major American companies have been abandoning principles of corporate and social responsibility, Google looks to be finally breaking the mold. 

This is a big deal for a few reasons. Firstly, we're still in a recession (be it the tail-end or turning point) and Google is closing itself off to a huge market that it tried so long to break into. Secondly, the Mountain View tech giant has been looking rather ominous recently as it tries to tackle Microsoft and Apple in a two-front tech war to carve out a piece of the browser, operating system, and cell phone markets simultaneously. Then there's the "orphan books" fiasco.

Bottom line, Google may be tight-roping the "don't be evil" mantra with a strong gusty headwind threatening to push it off that line, but it's smart enough to know that not all money talks the same way. 

Despite their size and wealth as a nation, Google cannot allow China to destroy its brand by forcing it to comply with censorship and be compacent in the face of email privacy violations.