Google does not have to protect freedom of access to the Internet

Today, Google shareholders rejected a proposal that would require them to not self-censor. This proposal was brought about when Google said that it would remove things that the Chinese government would be likely to interpret as offensive when it is building the search engine site in China. Its defense was that only one percent of the all of the information on the search engine would be removed and that by removing that one percent, it guarantees that it can stay in China. By doing so, can allow citizens of China access to more information and therefore, have more choices available to them.

I agree with Google's decision. If it wants to operate in China, it must observe the rules that China puts in place. So, in order for them to set up operations in China, they must follow these rules that the Chinese government has set, including ones that limit the information that can be accessed online by citizens. This is beneficial for everyone involved - it keeps good communication and repertoire with the Chinese government, citizens of China benefit by having more information and options than they have ever had before, and Google has a much larger customer base. As a business, I definitely think that Google made the right decision and those who disagree with Google's decision probably are not taking into consideration that Google is a business first and needs to look after the interests of its shareholders.